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The 

♦  Verilies* 

OF  Jesus 


asm 


tihxavy  of  Che  Cheolojicd  ^tmimvy 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate   of   the 
Rev,   John  B,   Wiedincrer 


BS  2415  .B967  1903 
Burrell,  David  James,  1844- 

1926. 
The  verilies  of  Jesus 


».♦''' 


^/jS 


THE 

VERILIES  OF 


A 


APR   3    1948 


DAVID  JAMES  ^URRELL,  D.  D,  LL.D. 


AMERICAN        TRACT       SOCIETY 
150     Nassau     Street,     New    York. 


Copyright,  igoj,  by 

AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY. 


PREFACE. 


It  would  appear  that  in  our  study  of  the  teachings 
of  Jesus  we  have  in  some  measure  overlooked  the 
significance  of  the  word  Verily.  It  occurs  twenty- 
five  times  in  its  reduplicated  form  in  John's  Gospel 
and  fifty  times  in  its  single  form  in  the  three  synop- 
tists.     Attention  is  called  to  some  suggestive  facts  : 

First.  The  word  thus  rendered  is  found  only  in 
the  discourses  of  Christ.  The  Apostles,  though  fully 
inspired  to  formulate  and  elaborate  the  truths  which 
he  proclaimed,  nowhere  make  use  of  it.  We  infer 
that  the  word  thus  divinely  copyrighted,  as  it  were, 
conveys  an  intimation  of  singular  authority,  as  of  a 
divine  seal,  equivalent  to  a  "Thus  saith  the  Lord." 

Other  words  (yap,  877  ttov,  /xeV  8e,  v(xi^  ovt(d<^ 
and  ^eV  ovv)  are  thus  rendered  by  the  apostles  :  but 
Christ's  verily  is  always  amen  {dfjLijv)  and  he  alone 
uses  it  in  this  way. 

Second.  The  word  is  one  of  special  and  peculiar 
emphasis.  It  corresponds  in  form  and  significance 
with  the  Hebrew  amen,  meaning  "firm"  or  "  trust- 
worthy," which  was  the  pledge-sign  of  God's  covenant 
with  his  people.     The  addition  of  "  I  say  unto  you  " 

iii 


iv  Preface 

has  precisely  the  vakie  of  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord." 
This  Verily  is  personified  in  Rev.  iii.  14  as  the  Faith- 
ful and  True  Witness,  from  which  it  would  appear 
that  when  Jesus  uses  the  term  he  means  '*  I  give  you 
a  divine  assurance  of  the  truth  and  importance  of 
what  I  now  assert." 

Third.  The  word  is  attached  to  every  one  of  the 
fundamental  facts  of  the  gospel,  and  only  to  such. 
From  this  we  infer  that,  while  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
were  intended  to  touch  every  point  in  the  circumfer- 
ence of  human  life,  he  intended  to  impress  these 
particular  truths  with  special  emphasis  upon  us.  He 
wasted  none  of  his  Verilies.  There  is  a  sufficient 
reason,  as  we  shall  see,  for  each  one  of  them.  In 
weighing,  measuring  and  comparing  truths  we  shall 
know  where  to  put  the  emphasis  when  we  thus  dis- 
cover where  he  placed  it. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

I. 

Regeneration    .         .         .         ♦ 

I 

II. 

Conversion 

7 

III. 

Justification  by  Faith     . 

12 

IV. 

The  Unpardonable  Sin 

20 

V. 

Freedom    ..... 

.       27 

VI. 

Immortal  Life       . 

34 

VII. 

Life  Out  of  Death 

39 

VIII. 

The  Great  Sign    .... 

45 

IX. 

Optimism    ..... 

52 

X. 

Privilege  and  Responsibility 

57 

XI. 

Rewards     .... 

68 

XII. 

Punishment 

77 

XIII. 

Inasmuch    

82 

XIV. 

Riches 

88 

XV. 

Giving 

98 

XVI. 

His  Equality  with  God 

105 

XVII. 

His  Mediatorship     . 

112 

^VIII. 

A  Prophet  in  His  Own  Country 

117 

XIX. 

Our  Greater  Works 

123 

XX. 

Faith 

127 

XXI. 

The  Prayer  of  P^aith 

137 

XXII. 

Binding  and  Loosing    . 

V 

145 

vi  Contents. 

Page 

XXIII.  Mutual  Service       .         .  .         .153 

XXIV.  His  Kind  Foresight     .  .         .        158 
XXV.  Christ  and  the  Bible     .  .         .166 

XXVI.   Heaven          .         ,         .  .         .170 

XXVII.  The  Second  Advent         .  .        -177 

Index  of  Verily  Passages          .  .         .189 

Index  of  all  Scripture  Passages  .         .191 


The  Verilies  of  Jesus. 


I.     REGENERATION. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee  Except  one  be  born  anew,  he  can- 
not see  the  kingdom  of  God.  John  iii.  3. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  one  be  born  of  water  and 
the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.      John  iii.  5. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  We  speak  that  which  w^e  know,  and 
bear  witness  of  that  which  w^e  have  seen ;  and  ye  receive  not  our 
witness.  John  iii.  11. 

In  a  letter  from  Whitefield  to  Benjamin  Franklin, 
dated  1752,  occur  these  words  :  "  As  I  find  you  grow- 
ing more  and  more  famous  in  the  learned  world  I  would 
recommend  to  your  diligent  and  unprejudiced  study 
the  mystery  of  the  new  birth.  It  is  a  most  important 
study,  and,  when  mastered,  will  richly  answer  all  your 
pains.  I  bid  you,  my  friend,  remember  that  One  at 
whose  bar  we  shall  both  presently  appear  hath  sol- 
emnly declared  that  without  it  we  shall  in  nowise  see 
his  Kingdom." 

The  reference  is  to  the  solemn  words  of  Jesus  ad- 
dressed to  Nicodemus  :  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 

I 


2  The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

thee^  Except  one  be  born  anew^  he  cannot  see  the  king- 
dom of  God!' — "  Verily^  verily^  I  say  imto  thee^  Ex- 
cept 07ie  be  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit ^  he  cannot 
enter  tJito  the  kingdom  of  God.'' — **  Verily ,  verily,  I 
say  imto  thee,  We  speak  that  which  ive  do  know,  and 
bear  witness  of  that  which  we  have  seen  ;  and  ye  re- 
ceive not  our  witness."     (John  iii.  1-2 1.) 

The  first  thing  said  about  Regeneration  is  that  it  is 
a  mystery.  "  Born  anew  ?  "  What  is  that  he  saith  ? 
How  can  a  man  be  born  anew  when  he  is  old  ?  We 
cannot  comprehend.  Will  Christ  attempt  an  explana- 
tion .?  Not  he.  As  well  seek  to  teach  a  butterfly  the 
philosophy  of  the  torn  chrysalis.  The  fact  is  enough. 
Hark  to  the  wind  !  It  "  bloweth  where  it  will ;  thou 
knowest  not  whence  it  cometh  and  whither  it  goeth." 
The  fact  gives  token  of  itself,  in  rustling  leaves,  in 
the  fury  of  the  tempest,  in  flowers  that  bend  and 
waters  that  murmur  at  its  passing  by.  Thus  does 
the  mighty  work  of  God's  Spirit  in  the  soul  manifest 
itself.  Its  modus  opei-andi  is  unknown,  but  its  results 
are  seen  in  the  blooming  and  fruitful  deserts  of  the 
spiritual  world.  The  new  birth  finds  its  demonstra- 
tion in  newness  of  life.  "  When  God  openeth  the 
sluice  of  grace,  the  stream  runneth  through  the  whole 
man."  All  things  are  become  new.  There  are  new 
tastes,  new  principles  of  action,  new  habits  of  thought ; 
all  showing  themselves,  as  wine  through  a  crystal  gob- 
let, in  the  actions  of  the  outer  life.  Yes,  the  new 
birth  is  a  reality !     How  it  comes,   thou  canst  not 


Regeneration 


tell,  but  the  fact  is  patent.  Thou  hearest  the  sound 
thereof. 

Observe,  also,  this  is  a  radical  change.  Radical  it 
must  be,  for  the  corruptions  of  human  nature  are  all 
from  the  blood-center.  Let  us  look  on  a  life-like  por- 
trait painted  by  a  master  hand,  the  full-length  portrait 
of  a  sinner  :  "  Full  of  all  unrighteousness  ;  fornica- 
tion, wickedness,  covetousness,  maliciousness  ;  full  of 
envy,  murder,  debate,  deceit,  malignity ;  a  whisperer, 
a  backbiter,  a  hater  of  God  ;  despiteful,  proud  and 
boastful ;  an  inventor  of  evil  things,  disobedient  to 
parents,  without  understanding ;  a  covenant-breaker, 
without  natural  affection,  implacable,  unmerciful ! " 
Where  will  God  begin  to  reform  this  man  ?  Mani- 
festly,  at  the  heart.  No  outward  furbishing  will  an- 
swer. There  must  be  no  putting  of  new  wine  into 
old  bottles,  or  of  new  cloth  upon  an  old  garment. 
Blot  out  the  portrait,  and  give  us  an  angel  clothed  in 
white !  For  "  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace, 
long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness, 
temperance."  All  at  once  ?  Oh,  no  !  Though  the  cit- 
adel be  taken  in  an  hour  the  reduction  of  the  city  is  a 
life-long  task.  Regeneration  is  followed  by  santifica- 
tion  ;  patient  continuance  in  well-doing,  the  building 
up  of  character,  the  continual  growing  to  the  full  stat- 
ure of  a  man. 

Observe,  again,  there  are  diversities  of  operation 
though  the  same  God  worketh  all  in  all.  The  wind 
sometimes  advances  with  tempestuous  power,  in  fierce 


4  The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

swirls  and  onslaughts,  uprooting  the  oaks  and  piling 
the  billows  into  foaming  crags ;  at  other  times  it 
breathes  as  an  evening  zephyr,  cool  from  caverns  of  the 
north,  or  laden  with  the  perfume  of  distant  gardens. 
Saul  of  Tarsus  must  needs  be  bhnded  with  a  dazzling 
light ;  but  the  penitent  beholds  the  heavens  dark  as 
midnight.  Our  God  is  an  infinitely  versatile  God.  He 
is  not  limited  to  any  inflexible  plan.  In  his  visible 
handiwork  there  are  nowhere  marks  of  uniformity. 
No  two  rubies  or  diamonds  are  precisely  alike.  Thus 
it  is  with  all  God's  jewels.  He  hath  diversities  of  oper- 
ation. To  blind  Bartimaeus  he  says,  '*  Receive  thy 
sight "  ;  the  eyes  of  another  he  anoints  with  clay  ;  a 
third  is  required  to  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam.  So 
variously  does  light  find  its  way  into  the  chambers  of 
the  soul. 

Yet  underlying  this  diverse  experience  is  the  same 
invariable  fact.  By  Regeneration  is  always  meant  the 
conquest  of  the  entire  man.  It  is  not  the  repairing  of  a 
defect  in  the  soul ;  it  is  the  upbuilding  of  a  new  temple 
on  ashes  and  dust,  a  new  temple  wherefrom  the  old 
spirits  of  passion  and  lust  are  departed,  a  temple  fit  for 
the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit.  Regeneration  is  not  re- 
form ;  it  is  "  a  gain-birth,"  as  Wickliffe  called  it.  If  any 
man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature  ;  hopes,  motives, 
appetites,  all  are  become  new  !  It  \spalinge7tesia.  It  is 
a  resurrection  from  the  dead  :  *'  If  ye  then  be  risen 
with  Christ,  seek  those  things  which  are  above  where 
Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God." 


Regeneration 


Observe,  again,  Regeneration  is  wrought  by  divine 
power.  There  is  no  room  for  co-operation  at  this  point. 
It  is  a  birth  atwtJien  ;  that  is  from  above.  "  Not  by 
works  done  in  righteousness,  which  we  did  ourselves, 
but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us,  through  the 
washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit."  Could  the  dead  Lazarus,  bound  hand  and 
foot  with  grave-clothes,  do  aught  toward  his  own 
quickening  t  No  more  can  they  who  are  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins.  God  speaks,  "  Come  forth  !  "  and  they 
arise  in  newness  of  life.  Thus  are  we  born  again, 
*'  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the 
will  of  man,  but  of  God."  Can  it  be  imagined  that  a 
soul  should  be  self -begotten  .?  Who  can  estimate  the 
distance  between  death  and  life  1  Stupendous  change ! 
If  at  the  command  of  an  audible  voice  Niagara  were 
to  stand  still  or  to  flow  backward,  that  would  be  a  tri- 
fling matter  as  compared  with  the  arrest  and  reversal 
of  the  mighty  forces  of  a  human  soul.  Shall  we  pre- 
sume to  think  ourselves  a  party  to  that  miracle  }  Nay, 
in  the  overwhelming  presence  of  omnipotence  we 
bow  like  Elijah  on  Horeb  with  his  face  wrapped  in 
his  mantle.  The  power  and  the  glory  are  God's.  We 
are  "born  again,"  says  Peter,  "not of  corruptible  seed, 
but  of  incorruptible,  through  the  word  of  God,  which 
liveth  and  abideth."  He  is  author  and  he  is  finisher. 
It  is  the  Lord's  doing  and  marvelous  in  our  sight. 

So  then  we  can  do  nothing  }  Nay,  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  work  depends  wholly  upon  us. 


6  The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

We  can,  if  we  chose,  resist  and  effectually  thwart 
the  gracious  purposes  of  God.  "  Come,"  whispers  the 
voice  of  the  spirit ;  and  the  soul  may  answer,  "  I  will 
not !  " 

Or  a  man  may  invite  the  interposition  of  the  Great 
Healer  by  placing  himself  as  Bartimaeus  did,  in  a  re- 
ceptive attitude,  by  the  roadside  when  he  passeth  by. 
We  can  be  willing  to  be  saved  ;  and  there  our  part 
ends.  We  can  actively  will ;  and  whosoever  will  shall 
be  saved.  "  Rise  !  He  calleth  thee  !  "  said  the  disciples 
to  the  blind  man.  Did  he  resent  the  assumption  of 
exclusive  power  on  the  part  of  Jesus  ?  Did  he  say, 
"  I  will  not  be  healed  unless  I  have  somewhat  to  do 
with  the  healing,  or  unless  the  method  is  first  explained 
to  me  } "  Nay,  it  is  written,  "  He,  casting  away  his 
garments,  rose  and  came."  And  to  those  who  are 
like-minded,  the  whole  treasure  house  of  God  is  open. 

"  God  is  willing; 
God  is  ready ; 
Doubt  no  more." 

He  waits  to  regenerate  us.  Let  us  fling  open  our 
doors  and  he  will  enter.  He  will  do  everything  but 
force  the  door. 

Be  this  understood  ;  our  posture  in  the  work  of 
Regeneration  is  not  that  of  coefficiency  with  God  ;  it  is 
resistance  on  the  one  hand,  or  acceptance  on  the 
other  ;  it  is  either  refusal,  or  willingness  to  be  saved. 
The  former  is  death  ;  the  latter  is  life  and  immortality. 


II. 

CONVERSION. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye  turn,  and  become  as  little  chil- 
dren, ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  heaven. 

Matt,  xviii.  3. 

The  disciples  of  Jesus  were  looking-  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Kingdom,  in  which  he  was  to  assume  the 
throne  as  Son  of  David  and  they  to  occupy  places  of 
honor  and  emolument.  The  keys  had  already  been 
committed  to  Peter  and  the  exchequer  to  Judas,  and 
the  others  were  naturally  eager  to  be  informed  as  to 
their  respective  places.  Hence,  not  once,  but  again 
and  again  they  inquired  among  themselves,  "  Which 
should  be  the  greatest  ?  "  The  Lord  knew  what  was 
in  their  hearts,  and  his  method  of  solving  their  diffi- 
culty was  worthy  of  the  Wonderful  Teacher.  He 
took  a  little  child  and  set  him  in  the  midst,  and  said, 
"  Vcj'ily  I  say  ujito  yon,  Except  ye  turn  and  become  as 
little  children,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven''     (Matt,  xviii.  3.) 

In  the  Revised  Version  the  rendering  is,  "  Except 
ye  turn."  Observe,  Conversion  is  not  regeneration, 
and   must  not  be  confused  with  it.      Regeneration  is 

7 


8  The   Verilies  of  Jesus 

wholly  of  God;  while  Conversion,  which  follows 
regeneration,  is  wrought  by  man  in  co-operation 
with  God. 

Our  Lord  was  speaking  to  his  disciples,  who  pre- 
sumably had  been  born  again.  The  thing  that 
remained  for  them  to  do  was  to  turn  themselves 
from  sin  to  righteousness.  In  the  case  of  Nico- 
demus  the  emphasis  was  placed  on  regeneration 
because  it  Ues  at  the  threshold  of  the  Christian  Hfe ; 
but  that  accompHshed,  all  the  rest  is  ''turning." 

Regeneration  is  instantaneous,  but  Conversion  is 
the  work  of  a  lifetime.  When  viewed  from  the  God- 
ward  side,  it  is  called  sanctification,  since  in  this 
matter  the  Holy  Spirit  co-operates  with  us. 

Paul  exhorts  the  Philippians,  "  Work  out  your  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,  for  it  is  God  who 
worketh  in  you."  The  emphasis  is  on  the  word 
*'out."  It  is  a  mistake  to  think  that  salvation  means 
only  deliverance  from  the  penalty  of  sin.  This  is 
merely  the  beginning,  when  the  Lord  says,  "  Go  in 
peace  :  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee."  From  that 
moment  it  devolves  upon  us  to  work  out,  to  its  utter- 
most, the  great  salvation  which  has  been  graciously 
begun  in  us.  And  this  working  out  is  the  ''  turning," 
the  ''right  about  face,"  the  making  of  character,  the 
putting  off  the  old  man  and  putting  on  the  new,  the 
emerging  from  bondage,  which,  when  consummated, 
means  perfection,  character,  the  full  stature  of  man- 
hood, "  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God." 


Conversion  g 

The  most  casual  observer  of  the  wonderful  Hfe  of 
Jesus  must  have  perceived  his  singular  attitude  toward 
childhood.  His  heart  was  wide  open  to  the  little  peo- 
ple. This  is  ever  a  mark  of  the  highest  manhood.  Of 
all  the  old  masters,  we  love  Murillo  best,  because  he 
loved  the  children  ;  and  there  is  something  fine  and 
beautiful  always  in  his  portraiture  of  them,  even  when 
his  subjects  are  beggar-boys.  For  a  like  reason,  we 
incline  to  Longfellow  among  the  poets  ;  he  loved  the 
children,  and  they  loved  him.  In  his  home  at  Cam- 
bridge they  took  great  liberties  with  him,  climbing  over 
his  chair  and  nestling  in  his  arms.  And  this  was  his 
response  : 

"  I  have  you  fast  in  my  fortress, 
And  will  not  let  you  depart, 
But  will  put  you  down  in  the  dungeon, 
In  the  round-tower  of  my  heart." 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  think  of  "  Lewis  Carroll,"  a  pro- 
fessor of  dry  mathematics,  turning  aside  from  log- 
arithms and  the  measurement  of  stellar  distances  to 
tell  of  little  Alice  in  Wonderland.  Now  we  should 
expect  to  find  in  Jesus,  the  ideal  Man,  the  consumma- 
tion of  this  manly  grace  ;  and  we  are  not  disappointed. 
Of  all  the  great  religious  teachers  of  history,  he  alone 
is  recorded  to  have  opened  his  arms  to  the  httle  ones, 
saying,  "  Suffer,  the  little  children,  and  forbid  them  not, 
to  come  unto  me."  When  he  took  a  little  child  upon  his 
knee,  and,  looking  around  on  his  disciples,  said,  "  Verily y 


lo         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

I  say  unto  you,  wJiosoever  sJiall  not  receive  the  Kingdom 
of  God  as  this  one,  he  sJiallin  no  ivise  enter  tJierein^'  it 
was  in  line  with  his  entire  precept  and  example.  He  ad- 
monished the  religionists  of  his  time  to  give  no  offense 
to  the  children,  saying,  ''  It  is  profitable  for  him  that  a 
great  millstone  should  be  hanged  about  his  neck  and 
that  he  should  be  sunk  in  the  depth  of  the  sea."  He 
identified  himself  with  the  welfare  of  the  children,  as- 
suring his  hearers  that  to  give  one  of  them  a  cup  of 
cold  water  was  like  quenching  the  thirst  of  his  own 
parched  lips  :  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
these  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto 
me." 

But  the  interest  of  Christ  in  children  goes  deeper 
still.  They  were  redeemed  by  his  sacrifice.  In  Hol- 
man  Hunt's  picture  of  "  The  Flight  into  Egypt,"  the 
spirits  of  the  murdered  Innocents  are  represented  as 
following  in  the  wake  of  the  little  caravan  ;  a  sweet- 
faced  company,  awaking  out  of  death  with  glad  sur- 
prise in  their  faces  and  trooping  after  ''  like  a  trail  of 
rosy  clouds."  In  some  of  the  earlier  theological  con- 
troversies we  find  the  phrase  linihus  infantum,  "•  the 
hell  of  children."  What  a  nightmare  is  here  !  It  is 
sometimes  said  that  John  Calvin  asserted  that  there 
were  "children  in  hell  a  span  long."  While  it  is 
admitted  that  Calvin  inclined  to  a  somewhat  stern  view 
of  the  divine  justice,  it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  in  all 
US  voluminous  writings  there  is  not  a  word  to  war- 
^  this  accusation.      And,  indeed,  it  is  an  open  ques- 


Conversion  1 1 

tion  whether  any  theologian,  Hving  or  dead,  can  be 
held  responsible  for  it.  In  any  case,  the  truth  lies  at 
the  very  opposite,  as  set  forth  in  the  exquisite 
prophecy  of  Zechariah :  ''Thus  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts,  The  streets  of  the  city  shall  be  full  of  boys  and 
girls  playing  in  the  streets  thereof."     (Zech.  viii.  5.) 

The  child  on  Jesus'  knees  is  placed  before  us  as  an 
object  lesson  of  Conversion.  It  is  not  to  be  inferred 
that  children  are  sinless  ;  else  Jesus  would  not  have  pro- 
ceeded to  speak  of  them  as  "  lost  "  and  of  himself  as 
"  seeking  them."  (Matt,  xviii.  11-14.)  But  in  child- 
hood there  are  some  characteristics  of  true  greatness, 
which  are  well  worthy  of  our  imitation  :  such  as  ( i ) 
humility,  (2)  freedom  from  selfish  and  sordid  ambition, 
(3)  simple  trust  and  confidence,  (4)  affection,  (5)  de- 
pendence, (6)  teachableness,  (7)  an  obedient  spirit. 

We  are  to  "  turn  "  away  from  the  habit  of  sin  toward 
these  traits  of  character.  This  is  Conversion,  and 
this  is  the  life-calling  of  a  Christian.  If  we  are  dis- 
posed to  "turn,"  in  this  manner,  the  Spirit  helpeth 
our  infirmities.  God  worketh  in  us  ;  so  that  we  con- 
stantly grow  in  grace.  The  end  of  Conversion  is 
character.  Our  "  turning  "  is  growing,  and  growing 
brings  us  at  length  "  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature 
of  the  fulness  of  Christ."     (Eph.  iv.  13.) 


III. 

JUSTIFICATION  BY   FAITH. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you  ,  He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  be- 
lieveth  him  that  sent  me,  hath  eternal  life,  and  cometh  not  into 
judgment ;  but  hath  passed  out  of  death  into  life.      John  v.  24. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  The  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when 
the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  they  that  hear 
shall  live.  John  v.  25. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  seek  me,  not  because  ye  saw 
signs,  but  because  ye  ate  of  the  loaves,  and  were  filled.  John  vi.  26. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  It  was  not  Moses  that  gave  you 
the  bread  out  of  heaven ;  but  my  Father  giveth  you  the  true  bread 
out  of  heaven.  John  vi.  32. 

Verily,  verily,   I  say  unto  you.  He  that  believeth  hath  eternal  life. 

John  vi.  47. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son 
of  man  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  not  life  in  yourselves. 

John  vi.  53. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  entereth  not  by  the  door 
into  the  fold  of  the  sheep  but  climbeth  up  some  other  way,  the  same 
is  a  thief  and  a  robber.  John  x.  i. 

A  man  must  repent  before  he  believes  in  Christ. 
But  repentance  is  not  a  saving  grace  ;  it  has  value 
only  as  it  leads  to  something  further  on.  The  pain  of 
a  physical  malady  has  no  curative  virtue  ;  but  it  is  this 
pain  which  inclines  the  patient  to  ring  the  doctor's 
bell.     So  John  the  Baptist  goes  before   Christ  with 

12 


Justification    by    Faith  13 

his  cry,  "  Repent  ye !  "  since  without  repentance  there 
is  no  adequate  sense  of  need,  nor  disposition  to  accept 
Christ. 

But  the  penitent  is  not  saved ;  he  has  only  dis- 
covered his  need  of  salvation.  He  knows  his  malady  ; 
now  how  shall  he  be  cured  of  it  ?  To  pause  here  is 
death.  One  in  a  sinking  boat  must  not  be  satisfied 
with  stopping  the  leak ;  the  boat  must  be  bailed  out 
A  man  head-over-ears  in  debt  cannot  recover  his  credit 
by  resolving  to  pay  cash  in  the  future  ;  he  must  some- 
how cancel  his  past  obligations.  If  a  penitent  were 
never  to  commit  another  sin,  the  '*  handwriting  of  or- 
dinances "  would  still  be  against  him.  The  record  of 
the  past  remain?  ;  and  it  will  confront  him  in  the  judg- 
ment unless  it  be  disposed  of.  The  past !  The  mis- 
lived  past  !     What  shall  be  done  about  it  ? 

This  brings  us  to  the  matter  in  hand  :  What  shall 
I  do  to  be  saved  ? 

The  one  thing  needful  is  to  beUeve  in  Christ. 

Our  Lord  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  said  to 
Nicodemus,  "  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him, 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  And  to 
make  the  matter  perfectly  clear  to  this  learned  rabbi, 
he  resorted  to  the  kindergarten  method,  using  an  ob- 
ject lesson  :  "  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the 
wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up 
(that  is,  crucified)  ;  that  wJiosoever  believeth  may  in 
him  have  eternal  hfe." 


14         The   Verilies   of  J 


esus 


Our  Lord  puts  the  redoubled  emphasis  of  his  verily 
on  this  fact.  To  the  deriding  Jews  he  said,  "  Verily, 
veiily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  Jieareth  my  ivord  and 
believetJi  him  that  sent  me  hath  eternal  life,''  adding 
with  repetitive  earnestness,  "  Vefily  verily,  I  say 
iinto  you,  The  Jiour  comet Ji,  and  noiv  is,  zvJien  the  dead 
shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Soji  of  God ;  and  they  that 
Jiear  shall  live!'  (John  v.  24,  25.)  The  reference  in 
this  instance  is  not  to  the  final  resurrection  but  to  the 
resurrection  here  and  now  ;  that  is,  the  spiritual  quick- 
ening of  those  dead  in  trespasses  and  sin. 

On  another  occasion,  just  after  the  feeding  of  the 
five  thousand,  he  said  to  the  same  class  of  cavilers, 
"  Verily,  veinly,  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  seek  me  not  because 
ye  saiv  signs  but  because  ye  ate  of  the  loaves  and 
ivere  filled ;  "  and,  when  reminded  of  the  manna,  he 
continued,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  It  was  not 
Moses  that  gave  you  the  bread  out  of  heaven,  but  my 
Father  givetJi  you  the  true  bread  out  of  Jieaven.  I  am 
the  liviftg  bread."  Then  he  solemnly  advised  them 
of  the  necessity  of  appropriating  him  by  faith,  as  the 
condition  of  salvation,  on  this  wise,  "  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you.  He  that  believetJi  hath  eternal  life;" 
and  to  make  the  matter  still  clearer,  he  added,  keeping 
up  the  similitude  of  the  loaves,  "  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you.  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man, 
and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  not  life  in  yourselves" 
(John  vi.  26,  47,  53.)  By  this  we  are  given  to  under- 
stand that  the  sinner  must  appropriate  Christ  by  faith 


Justification    by    Faith         15 

as  one  partakes  of  food  :  so  that  the  Hfe  of  Christ 
shall  be  assimilated  and  become,  as  it  were,  flesh  of  his 
flesh  and  bone  of  his  bone.  To  really  believe  in  him 
is  so  to  appropriate  him  that  one  may  say,  "  I  no 
longer  live,  Christ  liveth  in  me." 

The  same  truth  is  set  forth  with  a  like  emphasis  in 
the  saying'  of  Jesus,  '^  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I 
am  the  door;  "  and  again,  "  Verily,  vej'ily,  I  say  unto 
you.  He  that  enteretJi  not  in  by  the  door  into  tJie  fold 
of  t/ie  sheep,  but  climbetJi  up  some  other  zuay,  the  same 
is  a  tJiief  and  a  robber!'  (John  x.  1-7.)  If  this  means 
anything  it  means  that  the  sinner  must  be  saved 
by  believing  in  Christ,  and  that  there  is  no  other 
way. 

But  what  is  it  to  "believe  in  Christ,?"  It  is  easy 
to  say,  "  Come  to  Christ,"  and,  "  Accept  Christ,"  and 
"  Beheve  in  Him  ; "  but  just  here  occurs  the  bewilder- 
ment. These  are  oftentimes  mere  shop-worn  phrases 
to  the  unsaved,  however  simple  they  may  appear  to 
those  who  have  entered  on  the  Christian  Hfe. 

To  believe  in  Christ  is,  first,  to  credit  the  historic 
record  of  his  life.  Once  on  a  time  he  lived  among 
men,  preached,  wrought  miracles,  suffered  and  died 
on  the  accursed  tree.  So  far  all  will  agree  ;  but 
there  is  clearly  no  saving  virtue  in  an  intellectual  ac- 
ceptance of  an  undisputed  fact. 

It  means,  second,  to  believe  that  Jesus  was  what  he 
claimed  to  be.  And  this  claim  is  perfectly  clear.  To 
the  woman  of  Samaria  who  sighed  for  the  coming  of 


1 6         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

Messiah,  he  said,  "  I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he." 
No  reader  of  the  Scripture  can  misunderstand  his 
meaning,  since  the  prophecy  of  the  Messiah  runs  hke 
a  golden  thread  through  all  its  pages  from  the  prote- 
vangel,  "  The  seed  of  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's 
head,"  to  the  prediction  of  Malachi,  "  The  sun  of 
righteousness  shall  arise  with  healing  in  its  wings." 

But,  more  than  this,  Jesus  claimed  that  as  Messiah 
he  was  the  only-begotten  and  co-equal  Son  of  God. 
He  came  forth  from  God  and,  after  finishing  his  work, 
was  to  return  to  God  and  reassume  "the  glory  which 
he  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world  was."  It 
was  this  oft-repeated  assertion  which  so  mortally  of- 
fended the  Jews  that  was  the  occasion  of  his  arrest  on 
the  charge  of  blasphemy.  He  persisted  in  his  claim, 
and  was  put  to  death  for  "  making  himself  equal  with 
God."  It  must  be  seen,  therefore,  that  no  man  can  be 
said  to  believe  in  Christ  who  is  not  prepared  to  affirm, 
without  demur  or  qualification,  that  he  was  what  he 
claimed  to  be. 

It  means,  third,  to  beheve  that  Jesus  did  what  he 
said  he  came  into  the  world  to  do.  And  here  again 
there  can  be  no  doubt  or  perad venture.  He  said  : 
"The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  His  death  was  to  be  the  purchase-price  of 
redemption.  It  follows  that  no  man  can  truly  believe 
in  Christ  without  assenting  to  the  fact  that  the  sav- 
ing power  is  in  his  death  ;  as  it  is  written,  "  The  blood 


Justification  by   Faith  17 

of  Jesus  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,"  and,  "  Apart 
from  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission."  He 
came  into  the  world  to  die  for  sinners,  that  they  by 
his  death  might  enter  into  life  ;  he  came  to  take  our 
place  before  the  bar  of  the  offended  law,  "he  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for 
our  iniquities,  and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed;" 
he  came  to  "  bear  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree  ;  "  and  to  beUeve  in  Christ  is  to  believe  that  he  did 
what  he  came  to  do. 

It  means,  fourth — and  now  we  come  to  the  very 
heart  of  the  matter — to  believe  that  Christ  means 
precisely  what  he  says.  He  says  to  the  sinner,  "  The 
Son  of  man  hath  authority  on  earth  to  forgive  sins." 
He  says,  "  Him  that  cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out."  He  says,  "  He  that  believeth  JiatJi  eternal 
life."  At  this  point  belief  means  personal  appropria- 
tion ;  acceptance,  immediate,  here,  now.  It  is  to  make 
an  end  of  doubt  and  perplexity  and  all  questioning, 
by  closing  in  with  the  overtures  of  divine  mercy.  It 
is  to  lay  down  one's  arms  and  make  an  unconditional 
surrender.  It  is  to  take  the  proffered  hand  of  the 
Saviour  in  an  everlasting  covenant  of  peace.  It  is  to 
say,  "  My  Lord,  my  life,  my  sacrifice,  my  Saviour  and 
my  all ! " 

But  just  here  is  where  many  hesitate  and  fail.  They 
do  not  "  screw  their  courage  to  the  sticking  point." 
They  come  up  to  the  line,  but  do  not  take  the  step 
that  crosses  it.     They  do  not  summon  resolution  to 

B 


1 8         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

say,  *'  I  will !  "     They  put  away  the  outstretched  hand, 
and  so  fall  short  of  salvation. 

The  will  must  act.  The  prodigal  in  the  far  country 
will  stay  there  forever  unless  his  resolution  cries,  "  I 
will  arise  and  go  !  "  The  resolution  is  an  appropriating 
act.  It  makes  Christ  mine  ;  it  links  my  soul  with  his, 
as  the  coupler  links  the  locomotive  to  the  loaded  train. 
It  grasps  his  outstretched  hand  ;  it  seals  the  compact 
and  inspires  the  song  : 

"  '  Tis  done,  the  great  transaction's  done, 
I  am  my  Lord's  and  he  is  mine  ! 
He  drew  me,  and  I  followed  on, 

Charmed  to  confess  the  voice  divine, 

"  High  heaven  that  hears  the  solemn  vow. 
That  vow  renewed  shall  daily  hear  ; 
Till  in  hfe's  latest  hour  I  bow 

And  bless  in  death  a  bond  so  dear  !  " 

The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life ;  but  the  benefit  of 
the  gift  is  conditioned  on  our  acceptance  of  it.  The 
manna  lies  about  our  feet  "  white  and  plenteous  as 
hoar  frost,"  but  it  will  not  save  us  from  famishing  un- 
less we  eat  it.  The  water  gushes  from  the  rock,  but 
we  shall  die  of  thirst  unless  we  dip  it  up  and  drink  it. 
Christ  on  the  cross  saves  no  man  ;  it  is  only  when 
Christ  is  appropriated  that  he  saves  us.  We  must 
make  him  ours.  We  must  grasp  his  extended  hand. 
Luther  said,  "  The  important  thing  is  the  possessive 
pronoun,  first  person,  singular."  One  of  the  early 
fathers  said,  ''  It  is  the  grip  on  the  blood  that   saves- 


Justification    by    Faith  19 

us."  Christ  stands  waiting— he  offers  life  for  the 
taking.  Who  will  have  it?  The  worst  of  sinners 
can  make  it  his  very  own  by  saying  with  all  his 
heart,  ''  I  will !  I  do  1  " 


IV. 

THE  UNPARDONABLE  SIN. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  All  their  sins  shall  be  forgiven  unto  the'sons 
of  men,  and  their  blasphemies  wherewith  soever  they  shall  blaspheme. 

Mark  iii.  28. 

If  there  is  a  sin  which  carries  the  soul  beyond  the 
reach  of  mercy,  it  behooves  us  to  inform  ourselves 
about  it.  The  common  view,  which  is  quite  incorrect, 
has  led  to  much  morbid  introspection  and  reduced 
many  to  a  state  of  religious  melancholia.  I  know  of 
such  an  one  in  the  asylum  to-day,  sitting  with  his  head 
in  his  hands,  a  wild  light  in  his  eyes,  given  over  to 
utter  despair  under  the  conviction  that  God  has 
forsaken  him. 

It  is  in  order  to  inquire,  at  the  outset,  if  there  is 
any  such  thing  as  an  "  unpardonable  sin."  Here  the 
Scriptures  speak  with  no  uncertain  sound.  It  is 
referred  to  particularly  in  four  passages  : 

"  And  every  one  who  shall  speak  a  word  against  the 
Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him  ;  but  unto  him  that 
blasphemeth  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  shall  not  be 
forgiven."     (Luke  xii.  10.) 

"  Verily  I  say  iinto  yoii,  All  their  sins  shall  be  for- 
20 


The   Unpardonable   Sin       2  1 

given  ujito  the  sojis  of  men,  and  their  blasphemies 
zvherewith  soever  they  shall  blaspheme  ;  but  whosoever 
shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  never 
forgiveness,  but  is  guilty  of  an  eternal  sin!'  (Mark 
iii.  28,  29.)  This  is  explained  in  the  context ;  the 
Pharisees  had  referred  the  miracles  of  Jesus,  which 
were  wrought  by  the  divine  Spirit  within  him,  to  the 
influence  of  devils. 

"  For  as  touching  those  who  were  once  enlightened 
and  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  were  made  par- 
takers of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  tasted  the  good  word  of 
God,  and  the  powers  of  the  age  to  come,  and  then  fell 
away,  it  is  .impossible  to  renew  them  again  unto 
repentance ;  seeing  they  crucify  to  themselves  the 
Son  of  God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame." 
(Hebrews  vi.  4-6.)  Observe,  the  sin  of  apostacy,  here 
indicated,  is  set  forth  specifically  as  an  offense  against 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

"  If  any  man  see  his  brother  sinning  a  sin  not  unto 
death,  he  shall  ask,  and  God  will  give  him  life  for 
them  that  sin  not  unto  death.  There  is  a  sin  unto 
death  :  not  concerning  this  do  I  say  that  he  should 
make  request."      (i  John  v.  16.) 

The  testimony  of  the  Scriptures  in  these  passages 
is  unmistakable  ;  and,  as  believers  in  the  divine  word, 
we  are  bound  to  receive  it.  There  is  truth  in  the 
saying,  "  It  is  a  sin  to  steal  a  pin,"  but  it  is  obviously 
a  greater  sin  to  steal  a  purse  or  an  inheritance.  It 
was  a  sin  for  the  rich  farmer  to  take   away  the  ewe 


2  2         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

lamb  of  his  humble  neighbor,  but  it  was  a  far  greater 
for  David  to  rob  Uriah  of  his  wife.  In  every  court  of 
justice  such  distinctions  are  made  as  grand  larceny 
and  petty  larceny,  murder  and  manslaughter  :  and  cor- 
responding penalties  are  inflicted.  Much  depends  on 
motive  and  much  on  circumstance.  The  bell-ringer  of 
Saint  Germain,  who,  in  1572,  gave  the  signal  for  the 
massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  was  not  without  guilt ; 
but  guiltier  was  the  captain  of  the  Royal  Guard,  who  led 
the  assault  upon  the  innocent  Huguenots  ;  guiltier  still 
King  Charles,  who  standing  in  the  balcony  of  the  Louvre 
on  that  fateful  night,  with  arquebus  in  hand,  looked 
down  upon  the  scene  of  carnage,  crying,  "  Kill !  kill !  " 
but  guiltiest  of  all  the  mitred  man  at  Rome  who 
signed  the  death-warrant,  and  who,  when  the  bloody 
deed  was  accomplished,  struck  off  a  memorial  coin 
bearing  on  one  side  his  own  name  and  on  the  other, 
Strages  Ugojwttorimi.  And  judgment  is  ever  measured 
by  desert,  the  harvest  is  according  to  the  seed-sowing. 
Thus  Jesus  said,  "  That  servant,  which  knew  his  lord's 
will,  and  made  not  ready,  nor  did  according  to  his 
will  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes  ;  but  he  that 
knew  not,  and  did  things  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be 
beaten  with  few  stripes."     (Luke  xii.  47.) 

Another  fact  to  be  considered  is  that  all  sins  what- 
soever are  pardonable.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the 
cross  :  "  The  Son  of  man  hath  authority  on  earth  to 
forgive  sin."  He  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost 
all  that  will  come   unto   him.     Unto   the   uttermost  ! 


The    Unpardonable   Sin        23 

No  sin  is  beyond  the  reach  of  his  pardoning  grace. 
Sins  that  are  scarlet  are  made  white  as  snow.  The 
penitent  thief  who  had  passed  his  hfe  in  deeds  of  vio- 
lence was  pardoned  in  ai'ticulo  mortis.  The  Mag- 
dalene, from  whom  all  pure  women  drew  aside  their 
garments,  came  to  Jesus  in  contrition,  and  he  forgave 
her  all.  Peter  denied  his  Lord  thrice,  saying,  '*  I  know 
not  the  man  ! "  and  he  went  out  and  wept  bitterly ; 
and  Christ  restored  him.  Judas — alas !  had  Judas 
but  known  the  infinitude  of  divine  grace,  his  shame 
would  not  have  led  him  to  remorse,  his  grief  would  not 
have  driven  him  to  despair.  Instead  of  rushing  unfor- 
given  into  eternity  through  the  dark  gate  of  suicide, 
he  might  have  thrown  himself,  with  abandon  of  faith, 
upon  the  bosom  of  a  gracious  God.  God,  for  Jesus' 
sake,  is  a  great  Forgiver.  There  is  blood  enough  in 
the  fountain,  which  he  has  opened  for  uncleanness,  to 
wash  away  the  sins  of  the  guiltiest  and  most  desperate. 
He  blots  them  out  as  a  hot  stylus  erases  the  inscrip- 
tion on  a  tablet  of  wax.  He  removes  them  from  us 
"as  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west."  He  casts  them 
behind  his  back.  He  sinks  them  in  oblivion  ;  he  re- 
members them  no  more  against  us. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  one  sin  which  is  unpardonable, 
in  the  necessity  of  the  case.  This  statement  is  not  so 
paradoxical  as  it  seems.  It  is  quite  consistent  with 
what  we  have  been  saying,  as  will  appear  from  the  fol- 
lowing facts  : 

( i)  The  natural  heart  is  biased  against  the  truth  and 


2  4         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

goodness.  It  matters  not  whether  the  occasion  of 
this  bias  be  referred  to  the  fall  or  to  heredity  ;  the  fact 
itself  is  indisputable  ;  and  every  man  is  sensible  of  it. 
The  virus  is  in  our  blood  :  and,  alas,  we  would  not 
have  it  otherwise.  We  prefer  to  sin.  No  sin  was  ever 
yet  committed  except  by  preference,  else  it  would  not 
be  sinful.  No  man  can  lay  his  finger  on  any  guilty 
thing  in  his  life  of  which  he  must  not  say,  <<  I  might 
have  avoided  it." 

(2)  This  natural  bias  cannot  be  offered  in  exten- 
uation of  our  guilt,  since  it  is  offset  by  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  good  God  has  not  left  us  to 
ourselves,  but  has  put  us  under  the  power  of  his  Spirit, 
who  continually  strives  with  us.  He  enables  us  to 
distinguish  between  right  and  wrong.  He  warns,  re- 
monstrates, persuades  and  urges  us  to  avoid  evil  and 
do  good.  And  when  we  sin,  the  Spirit  exercises  his 
most  important  function  in  offering  us  the  benefit  of 
pardoning  grace.  He  puts  us  in  remembrance  of  the 
things  that  Jesus  said  and  did  in  our  behalf.  He 
stands  ever  ready  to  apply  to  our  sinful  souls  the  power 
of  the  atoning  blood. 

(3)  But  a  man  may  harden  his  heart  against  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  and  he  who  does  this  effectually  is  guilty  of 
the  unpardonable  sin.  There  are  three  steps  to  death : 
One  of  them  is  referred  to  in  Ephesians  iv.  30  :  "  Grieve 
not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  ;  "  as  when  wayward  chil- 
dren grieve  a  loving  mother.  The  second  step  down- 
ward was  indicated  by  Stephen,  in  his  address  to  the 


The   Unpardonable   Sin        25 

Sanhedrin  :  "  Ye  stiffnecked  and  uncircumcised  in 
heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Spirit : 
as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye."  We  thus  resist  when 
we  refuse  to  hear  the  Spirit's  warnings  and  admoni- 
tions. The  third  and  final  step  is  designated  in  i 
Thessalonians  v.  19  :  "  Quench  not  the  Spirit."  A 
spark  may  be  quenched  in  more  ways  than  one.  It 
may  be  stamped  out,  smothered,  or  merely  left  to  die. 
The  Holy  Spirit  may  be  effectually  repelled  by  an  im- 
pious affront  like  that  of  the  Pharisees  when  they  re- 
ferred his  work  to  Beelzebub  ;  or  his  voice  may  be 
drowned  in  the  confusion  of  Vanity  Fair  ;  or  he  may 
sadly  take  his  departure  after  years  of  persistent  neg- 
lect and  inattention.  Let  the  spark  alone,  and  it  will 
die  ;  and  with  it,  hope  goes  out  forever. 

It  appears  then  that  the  unpardonable  sin  is  the 
ultimate  rejection  of  Christ  as  he  is  offered  to  the 
soul  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  While  all  sins  are  pardon- 
able, it  is  obvious  that  the  rejection  of  pardon  is  be- 
yond remedy. 

It  is  the  closing  by  the  soul  itself  of  the  only  door 
into  eternal  life. 

Our  Lord  refers  to  this  sin  of  sins  in  his  Parable  of 
the  Vineyard  : 

"There  was  a  man  that  was  a  householder,  who 
planted  a  vineyard,  and  set  a  hedge  about  it,  and  digged 
a  wine-press  in  it,  and  built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to 
husbandmen,  and  went  into  another  country.  And 
when  the  season  of  the  fruits  drew  near,  he  sent  his 


2  6         The   Verilies   of  J 


esus 


servants  to  the  husbandmen,  to  receive  his  fruits. 
And  the  husbandmen  took  his  servants,  and  beat  one, 
and  killed  another  and  stoned  another.  Again,  he  sent 
other  servants  more  than  the  first  :  and  they  did  unto 
them  in  like  manner.  But  afterward  he  sent  unto 
them  his  son,  saying,  They  will  reverence  my  son.  But 
the  husbandmen,  when  they  saw  the  son,  said  among 
themselves,  this  is  the  heir  ;  come,  let  us  kill  him,  and 
take  his  inheritance.  And  they  took  him,  and  cast 
him  forth  out  of  the  vineyard,  and  killed  him.  When 
therefore  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  shall  come,  what 
will  he  do  unto  those  husbandmen  ?  They  say  unto 
him.  He  will  miserably  destroy  those  miserable  men." 
(Matt.  xxi.   33-41.) 

If  a  man  were  aprisonor  in  a  besieged  city  and  were 
informed  of  a  secret  gate  leading  to  freedom,  how  long- 
would  he  hesitate  to  take  advantage  of  it  ?  We  are 
shut  up  in  the  City  of  Doom  ;  and  there  is  one  gate 
only  to  safety.  The  voice  of  the  Spirit  calls,  "  Escape 
for  your  life  !  "  How  long  will  you  tarry  ?  I  put  you 
in  remembrance  of  the  word  which  is  v/ritten,  '*  Seek 
ye  Jehovah  while  he  may  be  found,  call  ye  upon  him 
while  he  is  near  :  let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and 
the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts :  and  let  him  return 
unto  Jehovah,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him  ;  and 
to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon."  There  is 
no  time  to  lose.  Grieve  not  the  Spirit ;  resist  not  the 
Spirit  ;  quench  not  the  Spirit.  To-day  is  yours  ;  to- 
morrow is  God's. 


V. 
FREEDOM. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Every  one  that  committeth  sin  is  the 
bondservant  of  sin.  John  viii.  34. 

The  teaching  of  Jesus,  purporting  to  cover  every 
phase  and  relation  of  human  Ufe,  would  be  fatally  in- 
complete were  it  silent  as  to  Freedom.  All  great 
masters,  philosophers,  statemen  have  addressed  them- 
selves to  this  theme.  We  are  not  surprised,  therefore, 
to  find  that  Jesus  has  somewhat  to  say,  that  his  say- 
ing is  new  and  singular,  and  that  he  puts  deep  emphasis 
upon  it.  Here  is  the  manifesto  :  "  Verily,  verily  I  say 
iiiito  you,  Every  07ie  that  committeth  sin  is  the  bond- 
servant of  sill.  And  the  bondservant  abide th  not  in 
the  house  for  ever :  the  son  abidetJi  for  ever.  If  there- 
fore the  Son  shall  make  yo?c  free,  ye  shall  be  fire  in- 
deed!^    (John  viii.  34-36.) 

A  glance  at  the  context  will  add  to  our  interest  in 
this  saying.  It  was  uttered  on  "  the  day  of  tempta- 
tion," and  was  called  forth  by  the  hostility  of  the 
leading  Jews.  In  the  morning,  as  Christ  was  preach- 
ing to  the  early  worshipers  in  the  court  of  the  temple, 

27 


2  8         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

they  brought  to  him  the  woman  taken  in  adultery  ;  and 
flinging  her  down  on  the  pavement  they  demanded, 
"  Moses  commandeth  us  to  stone  such  :  what  then 
sayest  thou  of  her  ?  "  This  was  the  beginning  of  a 
running  fire  of  questions  which  continued  throughout 
the  day. 

Not  a  few  were  persuaded  by  the  wisdom  of  Jesus 
exhibited  in  the  protracted  encounter  of  this  memo- 
rable day,  that  he  was  really  the  Messiah.  This  was, 
however,  a  mere  intellectual  impression  and  of  brief 
duration.  When  he  said,  "  If  ye  abide  in  my  word, 
tJieji  are  ye  truly  my  disciples  ;  and  ye  shall  know  the 
truth,  and  the  truth  shall  made  you  free,"  they  hotly 
resented  it.  "We  are  Abraham's  seed,"  they  said, 
"  and  have  never  yet  been  in  bondage  to  any  man  ; 
how  sayest  thus  then, '  Ye  shall  be  made  free .? '  "  This 
gave  him  the  occasion  of  putting  forth  his  doctrine  of 
freedom. 

I.  He  begins  with  a  Verily,  and  adds  manifold  em- 
phasis by  doubling  and  sealing  it,  ''  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
7ijito  youy  Nor  is  this  emphasis  overdone,  when  we 
consider  the  tremendous  part  which  the  philosophy  of 
freedom  plays  in  human  thought  and  experience. 

II.  The  emphasis  of  the  Verily  is  laid  on  the  nega- 
tive side  of  the  proposition  :  namely,  the  bondage  of 
sin.  Nor  is  this  without  reason  ;  since  freedom  is 
impossible  until  the  captive  feels  the  burden  of  his 
chains. 

There  is  no  bondage  like  that  of  sin.     No  galley- 


Freedom  29 

slave  toils  at  the  oar  as  does  the  sinner  under  the  lash  of 
his  hard  taskmaster.  And  for  what  ?  "  The  wages 
of  sin  is  death."  The  sinner  pales  at  the  mere  men- 
tion of  hell,  yet  works  his  fingers  to  the  bone  to  win 
it! 

The  sinner  is  born  in  bondage.  He  inherits  it. 
From  the  earliest  impulse  of  childhood,  his  tendency  is 
toward  sin.  Once  this  was  called  "  the  doctrine  of  origi- 
nal sin,"  and  theologians  were  laughed  at  for  entertain- 
ing it.  But  in  these  days  it  is  called  "  heredity,"  scien- 
tists stand  voucher  for  it,  and  to  doubt  or  cavil  would  be 
quite  out  of  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  age. 

But  the  bondage  of  sin  is  more  than  a  natural  ten- 
dency :  as  time  passes  it  develops  into  habit.  There 
is  a  world  of  meaning  in  the  word  "  habit  : "  it  is 
derived  from  the  Latin  Jiabere,  to  have  or  to  hold. 
We  speak  of  a  suit  of  clothing  as  a  "  habit,"  because  it 
holds  or  "fits"  us.  So  sin  as  a  habit,  in  process  of 
indulgence,  adjusts  itself,  so  to  speak,  to  the  curves 
and  angles  of  the  soul.  Presently  it  "  fits  like  a 
glove  : "  or  let  us  rather  say,  it  fits  like  the  shirt  of 
Nessus,  which  could  not  be  removed  without  taking 
flesh  and  blood  with  it. 

So  here  is  a  great  truth  :  ''  Every  one  that  com- 
mitteth  sin  is  the  bondservant  of  sin."  Every  drunk- 
ard, every  victim  of  any  vicious  habit  whatsoever, 
responds  to  it  with  a  yea  and  amen.  And  this  is  the 
confession  which  must  be  made  before  deliverance 
comes.     The  slave  must  feel  as  Paul  did  when  he 


30         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

cried,  "  Wretched  man  that  I  am  !  who  shall  deliver 
me  out  of  the  body  of  this  death  ?  "  before  his  heart 
can  utter  the  cry  of  the  ransomed  freedman,  "  I  thank 
God  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord !  "  (Rom. 
vii.  25.) 

III.  Our  Lord  takes  occasion  in  his  discourse  to 
correct  a  wrong  definition  of  Freedom.  The  Jews 
thought  of  themselves  as  free  by  inheritance,  "  We  be 
Abraham's  children !  "  He  might  have  retorted  by 
reminding  them  of  their  bondage  in  Egypt,  their  cap- 
tivity in  Babylon,  their  subjugation  by  Rome  ;  but  he 
had  a  deeper  purpose  than  merely  to  expose  a  sophism. 
He  proceeded  to  show  how,  under  the  guise  of 
religion,  they  were  bondslaves  to  the  letter  while 
oblivious  of  the  spirit  of  the  law.  They  cherished 
the  oracles,  while  making  them  of  none  effect  by  their 
traditions.  They  eulogized  the  prophets,  while  reject- 
ing Christ,  who  was  enshrined  in  prophecy.  They 
made  broad  their  phylacteries  and  wrote  the  law  as 
frontlets  between  their  eyes,  while  their  hands  were 
full  of  blood.  They  paid  tithe  of  mint,  anise  and 
cummin,  while  withholding  their  hearts  from  God. 
Thus  their  religion  was  a  mere  superstition,  and  they, 
boasting  of  their  freedom,  were  in  real  bondage. 
They  were  in  Abraham's  household  like  Ishmael  the 
son  of  the  bondwoman,  not  Hke  Isaac  the  son  of 
the  patriarch's  wife.     (Gal.  iv.  22-31.) 

IV.  *  Another  spurious  form  of  Freedom  is  exposed 
by  the  teaching  of  Jesus.     There  are  those  who  hold 


Freedom  3 1 

that  liberty  is  license,  or  deliverance  from  restraint : 
as  Milton  says  : 

"  License  they  mean,  when  they  cry  Hberty  : 
They  bawl  for  Uberty  in  their  senseless  mood, 
And  still  revolt  when  Truth  would  set  them  free." 

Such  are  ''free-thinkers,"  who  reject  all  rules  and 
restraints  in  reasoning;  "free-lovers,"  who  tread  down 
the  salutary  hedges  of  personal  and  social  life ;  "  free- 
lances," like  the  roving  knights  of  the  middle  ages, 
who  knew  no  lord  nor  captain  ;  "  free- hooters,"  who, 
sailing  without  chart  or  compass,  ravage  the  open  seas. 

Which  is  the  freer  ;  the  comet  that  whizzes  aim- 
lessly through  space,  or  the  planet  that  wheels  in  its 
normal  orbit,  never  deviating  an  hair's  breadth  through 
countless  ages  ? 

Which  is  freer,  the  locomotive  that  jumps  the 
track  and  ditches  itself,  or  the  one  that  honors  the 
law  of  its  being  by  smoothly  rolling  along  the  rails 
provided  for  it  ? 

When  seafaring  men  speak  of  a  ship  "  sailing  free," 
what  do  they  mean  ?  That  she  has  ceased  to  obey 
her  rudder  and  cut  loose  from  restraint  ?  No,  the 
very  opposite.  They  mean  that  she  is  running  easily 
in  perfect  obedience  to  sails  and  steering-gear. 

V.  And  this  brings  us  to  Christ's  definition  of 
Freedom  which,  broadly  expressed,  is  this :  perfect 
obedience  to  perfect  laiv.  This  is  the  precise  content  of 
his  words,  "  Ye  shall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth 
shall  make  you  free.  " 


32         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

There  is  no  greater  fact  in  all  the  terminology  of  na- 
tions than  this.  If  France  had  accepted  Christ's  def- 
inition of  Freedom  as  here  given,  there  never  would 
have  been  a  Reign  of  Terror.  If  the  world  had 
harkened  to  his  philosophy  of  Freedom  we  should 
have  been  spared  libraries  of  anarchical  folly  and  oceans 
of  blood. 

The  Son  set  us  free  by  paying  our  ransom  from 
sin  and  turning  us  into  the  voluntary  and  joyous 
grooves  of  truth  and  righteousness.  He  gives  us  to 
understand  that  wrong  living  is  bondage  and  right  liv- 
ing is  Freedom  ;  that  a  man  is  never  free  until  he  has 
put  off  the  habit  of  license  and  put  on  the  habit  of 
perfect  obedience. 

He  proposes  to  set  the  soul  free  from  sin,  by  expiat- 
ing the  past  and  opening  the  gateway  of  a  holy 
life.  He  proposes  to  set  the  soul  free  from  the  law,  by 
placing  obedience  on  the  high  level  of  love,  transform- 
ing duty  into  pleasure  and  enabling  the  soul  to  say,  "  I 
rejoice  to  do  thy  will !  "  He  proposes  to  make  the 
soul  free  in  service,  not  from  it.  None  but  the  truth- 
finder  is  really  free  to  serve  himself  by  making  the 
most  of  himself,  his  fellow  by  doing  good  as  he  has 
opportunity  unto  all  men,  and  God  by  continually 
glorifying  him. 

It  is  supremely  important  that  we  should  under- 
stand this  matter.  Christ  put  his  "  Verily,  verily^' 
in  the  right  place,  as  usual.  To  make  a  mistake  as 
to  the  sanctions  of  personal  freedom  is  to  leave  the 


Freedom  33 

king's  highway  of  righteousness  and  diverge  into 
the  open  country  of  error.  If,  having  been  ransomed 
by  the  Son,  we  have  accepted  him,  the  truth  has  made 
us  free.  Therefore,  as  Paul  said  to  the  Galatians, 
"  For  freedom  did  Christ  set  us  free  ;  stand  fast  there- 
fore, and  be  not  entangled  again  in  a  yoke  of  bondage." 
Shall  we  go  back  to  legalism  ?  Back  to  ceremonialism  ? 
Back  to  Antinomianism  ?  No,  never ;  since  Christ 
hath  made  us  free, 
c 


VI. 

IMMORTAL  LIFE. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  The  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when 
the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  they  that  hear 
shall  Uve.  John  v.  25. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  If  a  man  keep  my  word,  he  shall 
never  see  death.  John  viii.  51. 

Our  Lord  healed  a  paralytic  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda. 
It  was  a  blessed  deed  ;  but,  alas !  it  was  wrought  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  The  Pharisees  were  offended  be- 
cause he  had  broken  one  of  their  most  stringent  laws. 
He  justified  himself  in  these  words :  "  My  Father 
worketh  even  until  now,  and  I  work."  By  this  they 
were  angered  the  more,  because  "  He  made  himself 
equal  with  God."  He  went  on  to  show  his  one- 
ness with  the  Father  ;  how  all  his  works  were  by  the 
Father  working  through  him.  And  what  were  these  ? 
The  opening  of  blind  eyes,  the  wiping  away  of  leprosy, 
the  healing  of  palsy  and  other  infirmities.  These,  how- 
ever, were  but  slight  tokens  of  divine  energy  as  com- 
pared with  the  mighty  works  which  were  presently  to 
be  accomplished  by  the  Father  working  through  him. 

34 


Immortal    Life  35 

"  Verily y  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  Jieareth  my 
zvord,  and  believetk  him  that  sent  me,  hath  eternal  life, 
and  cometJi  not  into  judgmejit;  but  hath  passed  out  of 
death  into  life.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  The 
hour  comet Ji,  and  now  is,  zvJien  the  dead  shall  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live." 
(John  V.  24,  25.) 

He  was  addressing  the  Pharisees  on  their  own 
ground.  They  beheved  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
In  this  they  were  at  odds  with  the  Sadducees,  who  re- 
jected all  things  supernatural.  Were  not  the  Scrip- 
tures full  of  this  glorious  doctrine  .?  Had  not  the 
earliest  of  the  patriarchs  said,  "  I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth,  and  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God  ? " 
Had  not  David  sung,  "  God  will  redeem  my  soul  from 
the  power  of  Sheol }  "  Had  not  other  prophets  seen 
wondrous  foregleams  of  it ;  as  when  Ezekiel  stood 
in  the  midst  of  the  valley  of  vision  where  the  scattered 
bones  were  quickened  by  the  breath  of  God  ?  The 
Pharisees  believed  in  the  Scriptures,  and,  therefore, 
they  believed  in  the  resurrection. 

But  here  is  something  different.  "  The  hour 
cometh,  a7id  now  isT  The  reference  is  to  something 
going  on  here  and  now — a  spiritual  resurrection ; 
the  coming  forth  out  of  darkness  into  light,  and  out  of 
bondage  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God.  The  same  truth  was  set  forth  by  our  Lord  in 
comforting  Martha  for  her  brother's  death.  He  said, 
"  Thy   brother   shall    rise  again."     And   Martha  an- 


36         The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

svvered,  "  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the  resur- 
rection at  the  last  day."  Jesus  said,  "  I  am  the  resur- 
rection and  the  life  ;  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though 
he  die,  yet  shall  he  live  ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  be- 
lieveth on  me  shall  never  die." 

On  another  occasion  when  vindicating  himself  from 
the  accusations  of  his  enemies,  he  repeated  this  truth 
with  double  emphasis  :  "  Verily,  vcinly,  I  say  imto  you, 
If  a  man  keep  my  zvord  Jie  shall  never  see  deatJi!' 
(John  viii.  51.) 

I .  Sin  is  death.  This  is  the  most  dreadful  of  the 
many  figures  under  which  it  is  represented.  Not  that 
the  sinner  has  no  semblance  of  life,  but  all  the  faculties 
and  powers  of  his  higher  nature  have  lost  their  vigor. 
He  has  a  name  to  live,  but  is  dead.  An  ice-floe  drifted 
from  the  delta  of  the  river  Lena,  on  the  northern  coast 
of  Siberia,  clear  across  into  Davis  Strait.  On  this 
ice-floe  was  the  body  of  one  of  the  crew  of  the  ill-fated 
Jeannette.  If  this  man  had  come  by  the  shortest 
route  he  had  made  a  journey  of  three  thousand  five 
hundred  miles  ;  if  by  the  longest,  almost  seven  thou- 
sand. A  long  journey  for  a  dead  man  ;  yet  there  are 
men  all  around  us,  dead  as  to  their  higher  natures, 
performing  all  the  functions  of  common  life.  They 
toil  in  our  workshops  and  offices  ;  they  eat,  drink, 
marry,  and  are  given  in  marriage  ;  they  accumulate 
wealth,  sit  in  places  of  authority,  and  yet  are  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins.  This  is  not  a  mere  metaphor. 
The  death  of  the  spiritual  nature,  in  such  cases,  is 


Immortal   Life  37 

awfully  real ;  and,  unless  there  be  a  real  resurrection, 
the  end  must  be  eternal  death. 

II.  Salvation  is  renewal  of  hfe.  ''I  came,"  said 
Jesus,  "  that  they  may  have  life,  and  that  they  may 
have  it  abundantly."  At  his  touch  the  soul  is  quick- 
ened from  the  dead.  He  who  stood  at  the  grave  of 
Lazarus,  and  said  "  Come  forth !  "  with  such  power 
that  the  shrouded  dead  arose,  is  able  in  like  manner 
to  restore  those  who  are  under  the  mortal  sentence  of 
the  broken  law.  Was  it  wonderful  that  Lazarus 
should  come  forth  ?  It  is  far  more  wonderful  that  the 
word  of  Jesus  Christ  should  have  power  to  restore  the 
functions  of  a  soul  buried  in  the  tomb  of  unbelief. 

An  old-time  Quaker  preacher  had  a  strange  expe- 
rience at  his  conversion.  He  fell  asleep  and  dreamed. 
He  seemed  to  be  dead,  and  laid  out  for  his  burial, 
when  a  shining  face  came  and  bent  over  him,  saying 
softly,  "  The  man  is  dead."  Then  another  came  and 
laid  a  hand  over  his  heart,  and  said,  "  It  does  not 
throb  ;  he  's  dead."  Then  another  came  and  laid  a 
hand  upon  his  flesh,  saying,  "  It  is  cold  ;  he  is  surely 
dead."  So  one  by  one  came  angels  and  stood  around 
his  couch,  till  one  kindlier  face  than  all  the  rest  came 
and  looked  upon  him,  lifted  his  hand,  and  said,  "  Nay, 
what  is  this  ?  A  nail  print  in  his  palm,  and  a  nail 
print  in  his  other  palm.  This  man  is  not  dead  ;  he 
has  been  crucified  !  He  has  been  crucified  with  Christ 
and  lives  with  him  !  "  On  awaking  he  found  the  place 
in   the    Scripture  where  it  is  written,  "  I  have  been 


38  The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

crucified  with  Christ ;  and  it  is  no  longer  I  that  live, 
but  Christ  liveth  in  me." 

The  secret  of  spiritual  life  is  indeed  to  enter  into 
fellowship  with  the  death  of  Jesus.  We  begin  to  live 
when  we  stand  under  his  cross  and  feel  one  drop  of 
his  warm  blood  falHng  upon  us.  "  The  life  is  in  the 
blood."  The  life  of  every  son  of  man  is  in  the  blood 
of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  To  believe  in  him 
is  to  come  forth  out  of  the  sepulchre  into  the  world  of 
beauty  and  gladness.  Oh  that  we  might  all  know  the 
power  of  his  death,  that  we  might  also  be  partakers  of 
the  power  of  his  life  !  Oh  that  we  all  might  be  able 
to  say  in  truth  and  sincerity,  "  I  have  been  crucified 
with  Christ  ;  and  it  is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me  !  " 


VII. 
LIFE    OUT  OF  DEATH. 

Verily,  veiily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  a  grain  of  wheat  fall  into  the 
earth  and  die,  it  abideth  by  itself  alone;  but  if  it  die,  it  beareth  much 
fruit.  John  xii.  24. 

Here  is  a  statement  of  a  great  truth  :  Mors  janiia 
vitce.  It  is  the  law  of  the  acorn,  of  the  chrysahs,  of 
the  grave-yard  ;  Hfe  out  of  death,  and  out  of  death 
only.  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  tinto  you,  Except  a  grain 
of  wheat  fall  into  the  eartJi  and  die,  it  abideth  by  itself 
alone;  but  if  it  die,  it  beareth  much  fruit.''  (John 
xii.  24.)  What  is  this  that  the  husbandman  scatters 
over  his  ploughed  field  .?  Bread.  The  bread  which  is 
necessary  to  sustain  his  own  life  ;  bread  for  his  chil- 
dren's hunger.  Why  then,  O  husbandman,  do  you 
thus  broadcast  it .?  Why  throw  it  away  .?  "  Lift  up 
your  eyes  and  look  on  the  fields,  that  they  are  white 
already  unto  harvest ! "  The  loaded  wains  come 
groaning  to  the  granaries.  The  family  gathers  about 
the  generous  board.  The  corn  of  w^heat  died,  and 
behold,  it  has  passed  into  a  vaster  life. 

The  Lord  Christ  died.      See  him  yonder  upon  the 

3^ 


40         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

cross,  his  limbs  distorted  in  the  last  anguish.  No 
need  of  any  death  certificate  here.  "  Is  he  quite 
dead  ?  "  asked  the  centurion  of  his  guard.  "  Aye,  this 
is  the  spear  which  I  thrust  into  his  side  but  a  moment 
ago ;  and  when  it  was  withdrawn,  it  gave  sure  token 
that  his  heart  had  ceased  to  beat."  The  Jews,  Priests 
and  Rabbis  passed  by,  and,  noting  the  pallor  of  his 
face,  they  said,  "  The  Man  of  Nazareth  is  dead  ;  we 
shall  hear  no  further  of  his  doctrines  and  wonderful 
works.  He  will  trouble  us  no  more."  The  disciples 
as  they  loosed  him  from  the  tree  felt  of  his  hands, 
and  they  were  cold  ;  and  of  his  pulse,  and  it  was  still. 
**  We  hoped,"  they  lamented,  "that  it  was  he  who 
should  deliver  Israel ;  but,  alas  !   he  is  dead." 

Dead  .?  Then  why  all  this  commotion  ?  Why  this 
controversy  among  the  children  of  men  ?  Is  it  possi- 
ble that  the  world  is  still  moved,  troubled,  about  a  dead 
man — one  who  died  and  was  buried  eighteen  centuries 
ago  ? 

What  does  this  mean  ?  There  are  some  hundreds 
of  millions  of  people  who  gather  at  intervals  about  a 
table  where  a  frugal  repast  is  spread.  They  break  the 
bread  and  say,  "  Lo,  thus  his  flesh  was  bruised."  They 
pour  the  wine  and  say,  "  Lo,  thus  his  blood  was  shed." 
And  then  they  lift  their  hearts  and  voices  and  speak 
with  him  as  a  living  Christ,  laying  all  their  plans  and 
purposes  and  hopes  before  him. 

And  what  means  this  ever  increasing  multitude  of 
men  and  women  who  declare  that  he,  with  a  mighty 


Life  Out   of  Death  41 

hand,  has  lifted  them  out  of  the  horrible  pit  and  miry 
clay  and  set  their  feet  upon  an  everlasting  rock  ?  He 
said  to  the  paralytic  in  Capernaum,  "  Son,  thy  sins  are 
forgiven  ;  "  and  he  has  been  loosing  paralytics  from 
their  infirmity  and  forgiving  their  sins  from  then 
until  now.  He  said  to  the  sinful  woman  who 
anointed  his  feet  with  oil  of  spikenard,  "  Daughter, 
go  in  peace  ;  thy  sins  are  forgiven  ;  "  and  through  all 
the  centuries  he  has  been  saving  magdalenes  and 
restoring  them  to  self-respect  and  to  divine  peace. 
He  said  to  the  dying  thief  on  Golgotha,  ''  To-day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise  ;  "  and  there  are 
multitudes  of  malefactors  as  guilty  as  poor  Dysmas, 
who  are  prepared  to  testify  that  just  now  he  met 
them  with  the  same  message  of  pardoning  grace. 

And  how  is  it  that  the  name  of  Jesus  is  to-day  the 
most  potent  name  in  war  and  diplomacy  ?  His  figure 
towers  aloft  in  the  affairs  of  nations  like  the  Brocken 
of  the  Alps.  What  has  become  of  other  magnates 
who  ruled  the  earth  in  centuries  gone  by  ? 

"  Imperial  Csesar,  dead  and  turned  to  clay, 
May  stop  a  hole  to  keep  the  wind  away." 

But  Christ  is  the  most  influential  arbiter  in  the  affairs  of 
men  and  nations.  Let  Napoleon  speak  from  his  lonely 
retreat  at  St.  Helena  :  "  You  tell  of  Caesars,  of  Alex- 
anders, of  their  conquests,  of  the  enthusiasm  which 
they  kindle  in  the  hearts  of  their  soldiers ;  but  think 
of  the  conquests  of  this  dead  Man.  Can  you  conceive 
of  Caesar  as  the  eternal  Emperor  of  the  Roman  Senate 


42         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

and  from  the  depth  of  his  mausoleum  governing  the 
empire,  watching  over  the  destinies  of  Rome  ?  Yet 
here  is  an  Arm  that  for  eighteen  centuries  has  pro- 
tected the  Church  from  the  storms  which  have  threat- 
ened to  engulf  it." 

It  may  be  that  Macaulay's  vision  will  come  true, 
and  at  some  future  time  a  New  Zealander  will  stand 
upon  a  broken  arch  of  London  Bridge  to  sketch  the 
ruins  of  St.  Paul's.  If  so,  however,  it  will  be  because 
the  New  Zealander  himself  will  be  the  last  consummate 
fruit  of  Christian  culture  ;  a  man  of  higher  attainments 
in  moral  power  than  those  who  reared  the  fabric  of 
St.  Paul's.  P'or  Christ  is  a  living  and  omnipotent 
force  moving  the  world,  through  each  succeeding  sun, 
into  a  clearer  light  ;  and  this  will  continue  until,  in 
the  restitution  of  all  things,  every  knee  shall  bow  be- 
fore him  and  every  tongue  confess  in  the  full  glory  of 
his  millennial  reign,  that  he  alone  is  King  over  all. 

I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ.  Who  is  this 
"  I  "  }  It  is  this  lower  Bg-o  or  self  which  is  crucified 
with  Christ.  But  from  the  death  and  burial  of  this 
lower  nature,  the  truer  self  rises  into  newness  of  life. 
"  I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ ;  and  it  is  no 
longer  I  that  Hve,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me." 

I  live  now  as  never  before  for  the  true  advantage  of 
self.  So  long  as  my  carnal  nature  had  the  mastery, 
the  story  of  my  life  was  constant  degeneration.  But 
now  that  my  better  nature  has  triumphed,  I  enter  up- 
on a  process   of   progressive    sanctification.     I  shall 


Life   Out   of  Death  43 

never  cease  to  grow  in  character,  but  will  continue  to 
increase  from  grace  to  grace  and  from  glory  to  glory, 
ever  approaching  the  full  stature  of  a  man. 

I  live  now  more  than  ever  toward  others.  The 
lower  nature  is  selfish.  The  "  old  man  "  was  given 
over  to  self-gratification,  but  the  ''  new  man  "  follows 
close  in  the  footsteps  of  him  of  whom  it  was  written  : 
"  He  went  about  doing  good."  The  influence  of  one 
whose  sordid  self  has  perished  on  the  cross  is  an  ever- 
increasing  influence  for  good.  The  close  of  his  earthly 
career  does  not  end  it.  "  Fear  not.  Brother  Ridley ; 
we  do  light  a  candle  in  England  to-day  which  by  God's 
grace  shall  never  be  put  out !  " 

And  I  live  now  more  than  ever  towards  God.  The 
unregenerate  man  who  lives  after  the  flesh  and  not 
after  the  Spirit,  is  of  little  or  no  consequence  in  the 
kingdom  of  truth  and  righteousness.  He  bears  to  the 
household  of  faith  the  same  relation  that  a  scapegrace 
son  does  to  any  family  circle.  But  as  I  come  forth 
out  of  the  death  of  the  flesh  into  the  life  of  the  Spirit,  I 
assume  a  new  and  vital  relation  toward  the  kingdom 
of  God.  He  counts  me  now  a  loyal  subject  and  con- 
descends to  work  through  me  for  the  casting  down  of 
the  strongholds  of  wickedness  and  the  building  up  of 
truth  and  righteousness  on  earth.  I  am  living  on  a 
higher  level  and  breathing  a  new  atmosphere  ;  as  one 
who  stands  upon  the  summit  of  a  mountain  looking 
down  on  those  who  plod  along  the  lower  paths  ;  what 
mites  and  midgets  they  are,  who  bustle  to  and  fro  in 


44         The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

quest  of  things  that  perish  with  the  using.  Up  here 
are  hfe  and  immortality.  I  died  down  yonder  on  the 
cross  to  Kve  up  here  with  God.  I  buried  all  and  have 
all.  I  was  crucified,  yet  I  live ;  nay,  Christ  liveth  in 
me. 


VIII. 
THE  GREAT  SIGN. 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  this 
generation."  Mark  viii.  12. 

No  man  ever  made  such  extraordinary  claims  as 
this  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Who  was  he  ?  A  man  of 
the  people  who  had  received  his  education  in  a  carpen- 
ter shop  ;  yet  he  put  himself  forward  as  an  infallible 
teacher  in  spiritual  things.  He  touched  the  great  prob- 
lems of  eternity  with  a  fearless  hand,  and  he  taught 
as  one  having  authority.  The  common  people  followed 
him  in  multitudes  and  heard  him  gladly.  The  scribes 
and  Pharisees  who  were  the  accredited  theologians  of 
the  time,  looked  on  with  amazement  and  envy.  They 
inquired  of  him,  "Whence  is  thine  authority  ?  "  He 
answered,  "From  heaven."  "Then  give  us  a  sign 
from  heaven,"  said  they,  "  to  verify  it." 

He  had  wrought  miracles  among  them.  I  do  not 
say  he  claimed  to  work  miracles,  because  his  miracles 
were  at  that  time  undisputed  facts.  There  were 
present  in  the  popular  assemblages  those  whose  eyes 

45 


46         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

had  been  opened,  whose  leprous  scales  had  been  wiped 
away,  whose  palsied  limbs  had  been  restored  by  his 
power.  In  the  presence  of  such  witnesses  there  was 
no  room  for  denial  or  doubt.  The  only  question  was, 
Whence  did  Jesus  derive  this  power  to  work  mir- 
acles ?  Was  it  from  above  or  from  beneath  .?  The 
scribes  and  Pharisees  intimated  that  it  was  from  Satan. 
"  No,"  said  Jesus,  "  it  is  divine  power.  I  can  do  noth- 
ing except  the  Father  be  with  me.  I  and  my  Father 
are  one,"  Then  said  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  "Let 
us  see  your  credentials.  If  this  power  be  from  heaven, 
show  us  a  sign  from  heaven  to  attest  it."  But  Jesus 
refused.  He  could  say  ''  No  "  on  occasion,  and  there 
was  special  reasons  why  he  should  here  refuse  to  give 
a  sign. 

There  was  one  sign,  however,  which  Jesus  said  these 
cavilers  should  have,  to  wit :  The  sign  of  the  prophet 
Jonah.  This  was  a  sign,  indeed,  not  from  heaven,  but 
from  earth,  from  the  darkness  of  the  tomb,  from  the 
belly  of  hell.  How  runs  the  record  ?  "  The  word  of 
Jehovah  came  unto  Jonah  the  son  of  Amittai,  saying. 
Arise,  go  to  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and  cry  against 
it ;  for  their  wickedness  has  come  up  before  me.  But 
Jonah  rose  up  to  flee  unto  Tarshish  from  the  presence 
of  Jehovah,  and  he  went  dow^n  to  Joppa,  and  found  a 
ship  going  to  Tarshish  ;  so  he  paid  the  fare  thereof, 
and  went  down  unto  it,  to  go  with  them  unto  Tarshish 
from  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  But  Jehovah  sent 
out  a  great  wind  upon  the  sea,  and  there  was  a  mighty 


The   Great  Sign  47 

tempest  on  the  sea,  so  that  the  ship  was  Hke  to  be 
broken.  Then  they  took  up  Jonah,  and  cast  him  forth 
into  the  sea  ;  and  the  sea  ceased  from  its  raging.  And 
Jehovah  prepared  a  great  fish  to  swallow  up  Jonah; 
and  Jonah  was  in  the  belly  of  the  fish  three  days  and 
three  nights.  Then  Jonah  prayed  unto  Jehovah  his 
God  out  of  the  fish's  belly.  And  Jehovah  spake  unto 
the  fish,  and  it  vomited  out  Jonah  upon  the  dry  land. 
And  the  word  of  Jehovah  came  unto  Jonah  the  second 
time,  saying  Arise,  go  unto  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and 
preach  unto  it  the  preaching  that  I  bid  thee.  So 
Jonah  arose  and  went  unto  Nineveh.  And  he  began 
to  enter  into  the  city  a  day's  journey,  and  cried.  Yet 
forty  days  and  Nineveh  shall  be  overthrown  !  And  the 
people  of  Nineveh  believed  God  ;  and  they  proclaimed 
a  fast.  And  God  saw  their  works,  that  they  turned 
from  their  evil  way  ;  and  God  repented  of  the  evil 
which  he  said  he  would  do  unto  them  ;  and  he  did  it 
not."     (Jonah  i.  1-4,  15,  17  ;  ii.  i,  10  ;  iii.  1-3,  5,  10.) 

Now  this  is  the  sign  which  Jesus  gave  to  those  who 
refused  to  beheve  in  him.  A  sign  is  something  that 
signifies.  What  is  the  significance  of  the  sign  of  the 
prophet  Jonas  ?  In  other  words.  What  did  our  Lord 
mean  by  it  ? 

I.  It  was  a  vindication  of  the  truth  of  prophecy. 
Our  Lord  said  to  his  companions  on  his  way  to  the 
village  of  Emmaus  as  he  opened  their  understanding 
in  the  Scriptures,  "  Thus  it  is  written,  that  the  Christ 
should  suffer,  and  rise  again  from  the  dead." 


48         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

It  is  the  fashion  in  these  days  to  make  light  of  the 
story  of  Jonah.  It  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  a  fable. 
Let  it  be  understood,  however,  first,  that  the  Jews 
did  not  so  regard  it.  To  them  it  was  a  record  of  an 
historical  event.  It  was  never  called  in  question 
among  those  who  accepted  the  Scriptures  as  the  word 
of  God.  Second,  the  early  Christians  believed  it. 
We  find  conclusive  evidence  of  this  in  the  fact  that 
rude  pictures  of  Jonah  and  the  great  fish  are  to  be 
found  on  many  of  the  graves  in  the  catacombs.  Here 
the  early  Christians  laid  away  their  dead  and  professed 
their  faith  in  a  final  resurrection  by  the  sign  of  the 
prophet  Jonas.  As  the  sea  monster  vomited  forth  the 
prophet,  so  should  the  grave  give  up  the  sleeping  dust 
of  their  beloved  to  newness  of  life  and  immortality. 
And  third,  Christ  believed  it.  To  the  Jews  demand- 
ing a  sign,  he  said  :  "  Verily  I  say  niito  you,  TJicre 
shall  110  sign  be  given  unto  tJiis  generation  "  (Mark  viii. 
12),  which,  in  another  place  is  thus  quahfied,  '^  An  evil 
and  adulterous  generation  seeketJi  after  a  sign ;  and 
there  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  it,  but  the  sign  of 
JonaJiT  (Matt.  xvi.  4.)  He  thus  made  this  truth  the 
guarantee  of  his  own  triumph  over  death.  Had  he 
regarded  it  as  mere  folk-lore,  he  could  not  have  made 
such  use  of  it.  We  do  not  use  fables  as  guarantees  of 
fact.  Try  it  in  a  court  of  justice  on  this  wise,  "  As 
surely  as  Jason  sought  and  found  the  Golden  Fleece, 
so  surely  will  I  tell  the  truth."  But  that  would 
scarcely  answer.     You  must  certify  by  an  indubitable 


The   Great   Sign  49 

fact  like  this  :  As  surely  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven 
I  will  tell  the  truth.  Or  try  it  in  a  common  matter 
like  the  contract  for  a  debt  ;  make  out  your  note  on 
this  wise  :  "  By  the  sign  of  Jack  and  the  Beanstalk,  or 
of  Cinderella  and  her  Crystal  Slipper,  I  promise  to 
pay  when  this  obligation  falls  due."  Does  this  seem 
preposterous  ?  It  is  not  a  whit  more  so  than  to  allege 
that  Jesus  referred  to  the  fable  of  Jonah  when  he  was 
called  upon  to  produce  a  sign  in  verification  of  his  own 
claims  as  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God. 

II.  The  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas  was  designed  to 
verify  and  emphasize  the  Messiahship  of  Christ.  The 
antitype  of  Jonah  and  the  great  fish  was  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ.  This  is  the  one  pre-eminent  miracle 
by  which  he  verifies  his  claim.  Thus  Paul  writes  to 
the  Romans  :  '<  He  was  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God 
with  power  by  the  resurrection  from  the  dead."  This 
event  proved  his  Messiahship  with  all  that  was  involved 
in  it. 

It  is  a  mighty  claim,  this  claim  that  Jesus  is  the 
very  Son  of  God.  It  covers  his  relations  with  his 
people  every  way. 

And  he  vindicates  this  claim  by  his  resurrection 
from  the  dead.  Who  is  the  mightiest  of  earth  ?  The 
king  of  terrors.  Is  there  any  to  dispute  his  power  .? 
Nay,  there  is  no  power  like  that  of  death.  Can  the 
power  of  wealth  equal  it  ?  Croesus  is  reduced  to 
dust.  The  power  of  glory  .?  Or  of  armies  and  navies  ? 
The  shores  of  all  the  oceans  are  littered  with  wrecked 


50         The   Verilies  of  Jesus 

fleets,  and  the  hillsides  are  strewn  with  the  dust  of 
panoplied  hosts.  Who  then  shall  dispute  with  death  ? 
On  the  pale  horse,  scythe  in  hand,  he  always  has  the 
right  of  way.  At  the  door  of  the  cemetery  he  laughs, 
and  cries,  "  I  gather  them  in  !  I  gather  them  in !  " 
"  My  kingdom  for  an  inch  of  time  !  "  cries  Queen 
Elizabeth.  Fold  her  hands,  cover  her  eyes ;  death  is 
too  strong  for  her.  "  Fie  !  fie!  "  said  Cardinal  Beau- 
fort, when  they  told  him  he  had  but  a  moment  to  live  ; 
"  wherefore  shall  death  have  me  ?  Are  my  treasuries 
empty  ?  Go  bribe  him  !  "  Fold  his  hands  and  carry 
him  out  ;  death  has  conquered.  Death  always 
conquers. 

Always  ?  Nay,  not  in  Joseph's  garden.  Here 
Christ  meets  the  king  of  terrors  and  vanquishes  him 
— vanquishes  him  in  behalf  of  all  the  children  of  men. 
In  the  darkness  of  this  sepulchre,  the  bands  and  nap- 
kin, that  never  yet  had  been  resisted,  were  as  green 
withes  in  the  gr'^p  of  this  Samson,  who  rent  them  and 
came  forth  wiping  the  death  dew  from  his  face,  say- 
ing, "  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  .?  O  death,  where 
is  thy  victory  ? "  And  into  the  fellowship  of  this 
triumph  he  invites  his  people,  following  with  them 
always  after  the  bier  and  standing  beside  the  open 
graves  of  their  beloved,  saying,  "  I  am  the  resurrection 
and  the  life  ;  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though  he  die, 
yet  shall  he  live  ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
on  me  shall  never  die." 

III.   The  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas  gives  us  a  deft- 


The   Great   Sign  5  i 


nite  assurance  of  life  and  immortality.  It  is  written, 
"  Life  and  immortality  are  brought  to  light  through 
the  Gospel."  The  world  had  always  dreamed  of 
immortality  ;  had  guessed  and  wondered  and  hoped. 
Now,  however,  the  mists  of  doubt  are  lifted,  the 
dream  becomes  a  reality,  the  peradventure  gives  way 
to  the  "  Yea  "  and  "  Amen  "  of  the  risen  Son  of  God. 
"  Now  has  Christ  been  raised  from  the  dead,  the  first 
fruits  of  them  that  are  asleep."  And,  "  Behold,  I  tell 
you  a  mystery  :  We  all  shall  not  sleep,  but  we  shall 
all  be  changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye,  at  the  last  trump  :  for  the  trumpet  shall  sound, 
and  the  dead  shall  be  raised  incorruptible.  Then  shall 
come  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written.  Death  is 
swallow^ed  up  in  victory.  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ? 
O  death,  where  is  thy  victory  >  The  sting  of  death  is 
sin  ;  and  the  power  of  sin  is  the  law ;  but  thanks  be 
to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."     (i   Cor.  xv.  20,  51,  52,  54-57.) 


IX, 
OPTIMISM. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but 
the  world  shall  rejoice  :  ye  shall  be  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow  shalt 
be  turned  into  joy.  John  xvi.  20. 

The  disciples  were  slow  to  perceive  the  necessity 
of  the  death  of  Jesus  as  a  factor  in  his  plan  of 
the  Kingdom  :  so  slow  that  he  found  it  impossible  to 
convey  the  great  truth  to  them  except  in  bare  hints 
and  suggestions.  "They  were  not  able  to  bear  it." 
Even  after  his  crucifixion  they  failed  to  apprehend  it ;  so 
that  he  was  moved  to  say  to  those  who  accompanied  him 
to  Emmaus,  "  O  foolish  men,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe 
in  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken  !  Behooved  it 
not  the  Christ  to  suffer  these  things  and  to  enter  into 
his  glory  ?  "     (Luke  xxiv.  25.) 

The  Verily  before  us  was  spoken  in  the  upper  room 
on  the  night  before  his  crucifixion  and  was  intended 
to  fortify  them  against  their  approaching  bereave- 
ment. It  is  the  Verily  of  good  cheer.  "  A  little 
while,"  he  said,  "and  ye  behold  me  not ;  and  again  a 
little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  me,"  and,  "  Because  I  go 

52 


Op 


timism  5  3 


unto  the  Father."  They  could  not  understand.  Per- 
plexed and  bewildered,  they  said  among  themselves, 
"  What  is  this  that  he  saith,  '  A  Uttle  while  and  ye 
behold  me  not ;  and  again  a  little  while  and  ye  shall 
see  me  : '  and,  *  Because  I  go  unto  the  Father  ? '  We 
know  not  what  he  saith."  Then,  as  far  as  possible, 
he  explained,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye 
shall  weep  and  lauient,  but  the  zuorld  shall  rejoice: 
ye  shall  be  sorrozvfnl,  but  your  sorrozv  shall  be  turned 
into  joy  y     (John  xvi.  20.) 

(i)  ''  The  world  shall  rejoice."  The  death  of  Jesus 
was  an  occasion  of  rejoicing  to  all  concerned  in  it. 
Pilate  w^as  glad  to  have  the  matter  off  his  hands. 
The  rabbis  of  the  Sanhedrin  heard  the  cry,  "  It  is 
finished  !  "  and  congratulated  themselves  that  the  Naz- 
arene,  who  had  troubled  them  so  long,  would  trouble 
them  no  more.  The  people  who  had  lent  themselves 
to  the  tragedy  rejoiced  because,  as  they  supposed,  the 
fearless  preacher  of  righteousness  was  finally  disposed 
of. 

We  find  a  parallel  to  this  in  the  felicitations  which 
are  heard  among  the  enemies  of  Christ  whenever  his 
cause  meets  with  an  apparent  set-back.  The  world 
rejoices  over  every  repulse  of  Christianity.  Witness 
the  observations  made  in  the  secular  newspapers  at 
the  time  of  massacre  of  the  Chinese  missionaries.  On 
every  hand  we  were  reminded  of  the  fatuous  folly  of 
wasting  precious  life  and  treasure  in  an  effort  to 
evangelize  the  heathen.     Witness,  also,  the  comments 


54         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

made  on  the  alleged  triumphs  of  liberalism  over  the 
plain  teachings  of  Jesus  as  to  doctrine  and  ethics. 
The  church  stands  practically  alone  in  its  support  of 
temperance,  Sabbath  observance,  and  the  sanctity  of  the 
marriage  relation  and  other  safeguards  of  social  and 
domestic  life.  The  world  cries  ''  Aha  !  "  at  every  de- 
feat or  rebuff  in  the  campaign  for  the  propagation  of 
Christian  truth. 

(2)  "  And  ye  shall  be  sorrowful."  How  immeasur- 
able was  the  grief  of  the  disciples  over  the  death  of 
their  Master  !  They  saw  no  bright  light  in  the  cloud. 
Their  dream  of  Messianic  glory  was  over  ;  their  fondly 
cherished  hopes  had  come  to  naught.  "I  go  a  fish- 
ing," said  Peter.  "  We  also  go  with  you,"  said  his 
companions.  Why  not  ?  What  further  use  of  preach- 
ing and  proselyting  .?     Jesus  was  dead. 

The  same  sort  of  pessimism  is  common  in  these 
days.  Not  a  few  Christians  are  of  the  opinion  that 
everything  is  going  to  the  bad.  Look  at  the  preva- 
lent forms  of  social  and  civil  corruption  !  Look  at 
the  meager  results  of  missionary  effort !  Look  at  the 
heresies  and  imperfections  of  the  church  !  Look  at 
the  spiritual  apathy  of  believers  !  Are  we  not  hasten- 
ing on  to  some  frightful  cataclysm  }  Is  not  the  church 
speeding  to  a  doom  like  that  of  the  Alexandrian  craft 
in  Adria,  from  which  only  a  few  choice  souls  shall 
escape  "  on  planks  and  broken  pieces  of  the  ship  ? " 
Not  so.  "  O  fools  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  ! " 
God  is  not  dead  nor  has  he  forgotten. 


Op 


timism  5  5 


(3)  "  Your  sorrow  shall  be  turned  into  joy,"  Three 
days  the  Lord  lay  in  his  sepulchre  and  then  what  re- 
joicing !  What  running  to  and  fro !  What  eager 
salutations,  "  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed  !  "  At  the 
doorway  of  the  sepulchre  stood  Mary,  with  the  great 
sorrow  still  upon  her  and  unconvinced  by  the  empti- 
ness of  the  tomb.  "  They  have  taken  away  my  Lord 
and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him."  One 
word  will  set  the  music  ringing  in  her  soul,  "  Mary  !" 
So  may  the  living  Christ,  calling  us  by  name,  dispel 
our  doubts  and  revive  within  us  the  hope  that  maketh 
not  ashamed. 

For  there  is  no  ground  for  pessimism  among  those 
who  truly  believe  in  Christ.  Weeping  may  endure  for 
the  night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning.  The  Captain 
of  our  salvation  loses  no  battles.  His  plans  never 
miscarry,  and  his  prophecies  never  fail. 

"  Take  heart,  the  Master  builds  again  ! 
A  charmed    Hfe  old  Goodness  hath  : 
The  tares  may  perish,  but  the  grain 
Is  not  for  death. 

God  works  in  all  things  :   all  obey 
His  first  propulsion  from  the  night. 
Wake  then  and  watch  ; 
The  world  is  gray  with  morning  Hght !" 

The  hands  on  God's  dial  never  move  backward.  Every 
time  the  world  rolls  around  it  rolls  a  little  further  into 
the  light.  What  we  need  is  faith,  more  faith  in  God 
and  in  the  ultimate  and  universal  triumph  of  the  gospel 
of  his  Son. 


56         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

The  prophet  EHsha  was  sojourning  with  a  theological 
student  in  Dothan  when  the  Syrians  came  by  night 
and  encompassed  the  town.  The  student  arose  in 
the  early  morning  and,  taking  in  the  situation  at  a 
glance,  ran  to  Elisha  wringing  his  hands  and  crying, 
"  Alas,  my  master  !  how  shall  we  do  ?  "  It  was  evi- 
dent that  things  had  come  to  the  worst  possible  pass ; 
but  Elisha  had  experience  with  God.  He  saw  the 
camp  of  the  enemy  but  he  saw  more  :  and  he  prayed, 
"  Lord,  open  the  eyes  of  this  young  man  that  he  may 
see  !  "  And  straightway  the  eyes  of  the  youth  were 
opened  ;  and  he  saw  :  and,  "behold,  the  mountain  was 
full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire  !  "  We  live  in  a  lit- 
tle world,  circumscribed  by  our  finger-tips  ;  and  we 
are  blind  to  the  vast  domain  in  which  God  works  for 
us.  Oh,  for  open  eyes  to  behold  his  horses  and 
chariots !  The  worst  rebuff  that  we  can  meet  with 
in  our  service  of  Christ  is  but  for  a  little  while.  Our 
Lord  never  lies  in  his  sepulchre  more  than  three  days. 
On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  we  see  him  again.  His 
kingdom  is  secure.  "  His  purposes  will  ripen  fast." 
Opposition  is  in  vain.  The  kings  of  the  earth  set 
themselves  and  the  rulers  take  counsel  together  against 
him  :  he  that  sitteth  in  heaven  shall  laugh  !  Take 
heart,  O  believer !  Despondency  is  without  reason, 
and  doubt  dishonors  God. 


X. 
PRIVILEGE  AND  RESPONSIBILITY. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Among  them  that  are  born  of  women  there 
hath  not  arisen  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist :  yet  he  that  is  but 
little  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he.         Matt.  xi.  1 1. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  that  city. 

Matt.  X.  15. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  many  prophets  and  righteous  men  de- 
sired to  see  the  things  which  ye  see,  and  saw  them  not ;  and  to  hear 
the  things  which  ye  hear,  and  heard  them  not.  Matt.  xiii.  17. 

Verily  I  say  unto  yen,  that  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go  into 
the  kindom  of  God  before  you.  Matt.  xxi.  31. 

I. 

TJie  Least  in  the  Kingdom. 

John  the  Baptist  was  a  belated  son  of  the  Old  Econ- 
omy. He  did  not  himself  belong  to  the  kingdom  of 
gospel  privilege,  but  held  open  the  door  that  multitudes 
might  enter  into  it.  The  Master  said,  "  What  went 
ye  out  into  the  wilderness  to  behold  .?  a  reed  shaken 
with  the  wind  .?  But  what  went  ye  out  to  see  }  a  man 
clothed  in  soft  raiment }  Behold,  they  that  wear 
soft   raiment   are   in   kings'    houses,     But   wherefore 

57 


58         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

went  ye  out  ?  to  see  a  prophet  ?  Yea,  I  say  unto  you, 
and  much  more  than  a  prophet.  Verily,  I  say  iiiito 
you,  Among  them  that  are  born  of  women,  tJiere  hath 
not  arisen  a  greater  tJian  John  the  Baptist :  yet  he  that 
is  but  little  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  gi'eater  than 
her      (Matt.  xi.   7-9,  11.) 

But  what  is  this  kingdom  .?  It  is  variously  called 
*'the  kingdom  of  God,"  ''the  kingdom  of  heaven," 
''  the  kingdom  of  Christ."  It  is  important  that  we 
should  understand  the  Kingdom  ;  for  here  is  the  key 
of  the  Scriptures.  It  means  the  reign  of  Jehovah,  be- 
ginning in  the  individual  soul  and  extending  itself  into 
the  home-life,  the  neighborhood  and  the  nation,  com- 
pleting the  universal  symphony  of  worship  of  the  living 
God. 

(i)  It  has  its  beginning  in  the  individual  soul;  as 
Jesus  said,  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  within  you." 
And  again,  ''  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  except  one 
be  born  anew,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
And  except  one  be  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit,"  that 
is,  of  purifying  and  quickening  energy,  "  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 

(2)  It  finds  its  outward  manifestation  in  the  visible 
Church.  The  Church  indeed  is  not  what  it  ought  to 
be,  for  the  wheat  and  tares  must  grow  together  until 
the  harvesting  and  winnowing  of  the  great  day.  Let 
this  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  Church,  as  it 
exists,  is  a  divine  institution,  and  through  this  living 
organism  God  is  working  for  the  deliverance  of  the 


Privilege    and    Responsibility  59 

world.  It  represents  the  accumulated  sum  and  sub- 
stance of  evangelizing  effort  on  earth  ;  and  if  so,  all 
who  are  in  sympathy  with  its  supreme  purpose,  should 
be  associated  with  it. 

(3)  It  finds  its  ultimate  consummation  in  the  mil- 
lenial  glory  of  Christ.  This  is  the  fifth  monarchy  of 
Daniel.  He  saw  the  great  image  :  head  of  gold,  breast 
of  silver,  thighs  of  brass,  legs  of  iron  and  feet  of  clay, 
representing  the  successive  powers  of  Babylonia,  Medo- 
Persia,  Greece  and  Rome.  And  then  a  stone  hewn 
out  of  the  mountain  rolled  toward  it  and  smote  the 
great  image  and  ground  it  to  powder,  which  was  swept 
away  as  chaff  is  blown  from  the  threshing-floor.  And, 
lo,  the  stone  hewn  out  of  the  mountain  increased  until 
it  became  itself  a  mountain  which  filled  the  whole 
earth.  This  is  the  ultimate  kingdom.  The  largest 
prayer  that  any  Christian  can  offer  is,  "  Thy  kingdom 
come."  The  supreme  duty  of  every  Christian  is  set 
forth  in  these  words,  "  Seek  ye  first  his  kingdom." 
When  this  prayer  shall  rise  from  the  earnest  hearts  of 
all  believers,  and  this  duty  shall  be  univerally  dis- 
charged, the  vision  of  St.  John  the  evangelist  will  be 
fulfilled  :  "  I  saw  the  holy  city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  out  of  heaven  from  God,  made  ready  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great  voice 
out  of  the  throne  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  men,  and  he  shall  dwell  with  them,  and 
they  shall  be  his  peoples,  and  God  himself  shall  be 
their  God."     (Rev.  xxi.  2-3.) 


6o         The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

II. 

TJie  Men    of  Sodom  and    Gomorrah. 

I  can  remember  the  call  of  the  court  crier  from  the 
steps  of  the  old  court-house,  "  Oyez  !  oyez  !  "  in  the 
frontier  village  long  ago,  and  they  could  be  seen  com- 
ing from  tavern  and  along  the  streets,  juror,  litigants, 
lawyers,  and  hangers-on,  all  to  attend  the  court.  So 
shall  the  trumpet  sound  and  the  dead  shall  arise  ;  from 
the  sea,  from  the  land,  they  shall  come  to  the  great 
assize.  All  will  be  there  :  souls  slain  in  battle,  the 
slaughtered  innocents,  popes  and  victims  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion, the  poor  wretch  who  was  dragged  out  of  the  river 
yesterday,  the  millionaire  who  died  with  his  hand 
clutching  his  wealth  wrung  from  widows  and  orphans, 
formal  professors,  the  cultured  infidels  of  Christendom, 
the  multitudes  who  died  in  the  darkness  of  barbarism, 
the  men  of  Nineveh  and  the  men  of  New  York,  all 
will  be  there.      Oh,  the  sea  of  faces  ! 

The  judgment  is  a  necessary  factor  in  the  moral 
economy  of  the  universe.  There  is  but  a  faint  show 
of  justice  in  the  present  administration  of  affairs — all 
things  awry,  at  odds  and  ends.  The  poor  are  cast  down 
and  the  wicked  exalted.  Rewards  go  where  penalties 
should  fall,  and  vice  versa.  Can  we  suppose  this  to 
be  the  end  }  Everywhere  else  in  the  universe,  save 
in  the  moral  province,  there  is  a  perfect  equilibrium ; 
the  sun  draws  no  more  water  from  the  sea  than  the 
lakes  can  receive  and  the  rivers  carry  back  again  to 


Privilege   and    Responsibility  6i 

the  sea.  If  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  were  a 
trifle  more  or  less  the  earth  would  fall  into  fragments. 
A  little  less  heat  and  the  earth  would  be  frozen  ;  a 
little  more  and  it  would  be  burned  up.  A  little  more 
electricity  in  the  air  and  our  system  would  be  a  maga- 
zine of  destructive  forces.  But  everything  in  the 
physical  world  is  just  right.  Must  we  not  believe 
that  there  is  to  be  a  final  adjustment  in  the  province 
of  moral  things  ?  Ay ;  the  heavens  shall  be  rolled 
back  and  yonder  will  sit  the  Judge  upon  his  throne. 
In  his  hand  a  great  book,  and  the  book  shall  be  opened. 
The  ledger  !  Then  will  come  the  evening-up,  to  every 
one  his  due. 

The  judgment  will  be  administered  in  absolute 
equity.  Here  we  misunderstand  each  other  ;  we  judge 
by  the  sight  of  our  eyes. 

"  Who  made  the  heart,  'tis  He  alone 
Decidedly  can  try  us  ;    ' 
He  knows  each  chord— its  various  tone, 
Each  spring— its  various  bias." 

All  things  will  enter  into  the  consideration  :  our  nature, 
temperament,  heredity,  environment,  training,  tempta- 
tion ;  nothing  will  be  forgotten  then.  And  as  no  false 
sentence  will  be  possible,  so  there  can  be  no  complaint 
or  plea  for  a  new  trial.  Those  to  whom  the  Judge 
shall  say,  *'  Depart  !  "  will  unite  with  those  to  whom 
he  says,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  ! "  in  ascribing  to  him  an 
absolute  fairness.  "  The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are 
true  and  righteous  altogether."    Then  we  shall  under- 


62  The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

stand  the  strange  providences  that  so  puzzle  us  now. 
We  shall  see  the  divine  goodness  above  all.  As 
Whittier  sings, 

"  God's  ways  seem  dark,  but  soon  or  late 
They  touch  the  shining  hills  of  day." 

An  important  factor  in  the  ultimate  decisions  of  the 
Great  Day  will  be  the  measure  of  our  light.  We  are 
moved  to  ask,  "  What  is  to  become  of  the  heathen  ? 
Are  they  to  be  cast  into  hell  for  not  accepting  the 
gospel  which  they  never  heard  ?  Oh,  no.  They  shall 
be  responsible  only  for  their  measure  of  light  and  shall 
be  punished  only  for  not  living  up  to  it ;  as  it  is  written, 
"  To  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him  shall  much  be 
required." 

I  see  a  group  of  rabbis  drawing  near  wearing  their 
broad  phylacteries  and  frontlets  on  which  is  written, 
"  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord  !  "  and 
saying  to  the  Judge,  s'  What  hast  thou  for  us  .? "  And 
while  they  wait  the  penitent  thief  draws  near,  saying, 
"  I  saw  the  Redeemer  but  once,  and  my  heart  was 
smitten,  I  repented  and  beheved  in  him."  And  to 
this  man  the  Judge  shall  say,  "  Enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  thy  Lord." 

I  see  a  procession  of  vestal  virgins  drawing  near, 
who  say,  "  We  kept  the  sacred  fires  alive  ;  we  illumi- 
nated missals  and  breviaries ;  we  sang  the  matins  and 
vespers.  What  hast  thou  for  us  > "  And  yonder  the 
Magdalene  draws  near  with  downcast  face,  saying,  "  I 
heard  thee  as  thou  wast  preaching  in  the  streets,  say- 


Privilege   and    Responsibility    63 

ing,  '  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest ; '  and  with  my  burden 
of  sin  and  shame  upon  me  I  came  and  anointed  thy 
feet."  And  at  her  word  the  room  seems  filled  with 
the  odor  of  the  precious  nard  and  the  Judge  says, 
"  Enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

An  army  of  Crusaders  draws  near.  They  bear  the 
scars  of  service  ;  they  say,  "  We  fought  for  the  rescue 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  made  battle  beneath  the 
walls  of  Acre.  What  hast  thou  for  us  .? "  A  Httle 
lad  draws  near,  modestly  saying,  "  I  had  the  basket 
of  loaves  and  fishes,  and  when  thy  disciples  said, 
'Give  it  for  the  hunger  of  the  multitude,'  I  freely 
gave  it."  And  the  Judge  bids  him  also  *'  Enter  into 
the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

Here  are  a  multitude  of  nominal  Christians,  their 
names  on  the  church-roll  as  members  in  good  and  regular 
standing,  and  they  say,  "  Lord,  we  lived  in  the  shadow 
of  the  sanctuary,  sat  at  the  sacramental  table,  said 
our  prayers  and  paid  our  tithes  with  strict  regularity. 
What  hast  thou  for  us  ? "  And,  lo,  here  come  the 
men  of  Nineveh  :  "  We  heard  thy  prophet  once  ;  we 
heard  his  warning  of  approaching  danger  ;  we  believed 
that  to  the  penitent  thou  wouldst  be  merciful ;  we 
bowed  ourselves  in  sorrow  before  thee  and  besought 
thy  pardon."  And  to  these  the  Judge  says,  "Enter 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

And  what  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ?  Verily,  I  say 
Jiiito  yoit,  it  sJiall  be  more  tolerable  for  tJiem  tJianfor  the 


64         The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

cities  tliat  receive  you  not.  (Matt.  x.  15.)  They  shall 
be  <*  beaten  with  few  stripes  ; "  that  is,  they  are  to  be 
punished  but  not  beyond  the  measure  of  their  light. 
The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and  righteous 
altogether.  He  takes  all  things  into  consideration 
and  decides  accordingly.  The  Jews  will  be  judged  by 
their  oracles,  the  people  of  Christendom  by  the  Gospel, 
the  men  of  Sodom  and  pagans  generally  by  "  the  law 
written  in  their  hearts."     (Romans  i.  18-23  ;   also  ii. 

13-15.) 

Oh,  the  surprises  of  that  day  !  There  will  be  m.any 
passing  through  heaven's  gate  who  were  lit  along  the 
way  by  a  single  rushlight,  and  there  will  be  many 
who,  despite  an  unspeakable  wealth  of  privilege,  shall 
be  shut  out  for  ever.  Do  we  ask,  "  What  is  to  become 
of  the  heathen  }  "  A  far  more  pertinent  question  is 
this  :  "  What  is  to  become  of  you  and  me  ?  "  It  is 
greatly  to  be  feared  that  Zulus,  Bechuanas  and  Hot- 
tentots will  point  their  fingers  at  some  of  us  in  that 
day.  We  were  ushered  into  the  world  with  prayer. 
We  were  soothed  to  sleep  with  sacred  melodies.  W^e 
were  brought  to  the  sanctuary  to  receive  the  waters 
of  holy  baptism.  We  were  taught  to  say,  "  Our 
Father  which  art  in  heaven  ;  "  to  read  our  Bibles  ;  to 
revere  our  confessions  of  faith.  The  sound  of  the 
church  bell  has  ever  been  in  our  ears.  We  have 
lived  under  the  shadow  of  the  Christ,  yet  some  of  us 
have  never  accepted  Christ,  preferring  to  bear  the 
burden  of  our  own  sin.     What  is  to  become  of  us  ? 


Privilege   and    Responsibility  65 

III. 

Longing  to  See  and  Hear. 

It  was  a  great  privilege  to  be  associated  with  Jesus 
in  his  earthly  ministry.  He  said  to  his  followers, 
<'  Blessed  are  your  eyes,  for  they  see  ;  and  your  ears, 
for  they  hear."  They  saw  his  miracles  ;  they  heard 
him  speak  as  never  man  spake  concerning  the  great 
verities.  Well  might  he  say,  "■  Verily,  many propJiets 
a?id  righteous  men  desired  to  see  the  tJiings  wJiicJi  ye 
see  and  saiv  them  not^  a?id  to  hear  the  things  ivJiicJi  ye 
Jiear  and  Jieard  them  notT  Nevertheless  our  privilege 
is  greater  than  theirs.  He  frankly  said  to  them,  "  It 
is  expedient  that  I  go  away."  Their  fellowship  with 
him  had  its  limitations.  It  is  better  to  be  on  terms 
of  spiritual  communion  with  Jesus  than  to  know  him 
after  the  flesh.  His  presence  is  just  as  real  with  us 
as  it  was  in  those  days  and  far  more  helpful.  Our 
familiarity  with  him  is  just  as  intimate  and  far  more 
reverent.  His  offices  of  love  are  just  as  gracious  and 
broadened  by  the  measure  of  reclaimed  glory. 

"  We  may  not  climb  the  heavenly  steeps 
To  bring  the  Lord  Christ  down  ; 
We  may  not  search  the  lowest  deeps, 
For  him  no  depths  can  drown ; 
But  warm,  sweet,  tender,  even  yet 
A  present  help  is  he  ; 
For  love  has  still  its  Olivet, 
And  faith  its  Galilee." 


66  The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

lY. 

The  Two  Sons. 

The  religious  leaders  of  the  Jews  challenged  the  au- 
thority of  Jesus  as  a  teacher  of  religious  truth.  He 
answered  them  in  a  parable,  which  was  like  a  mirror 
held  up  to  expose  their  hypocrisy  :  '-'  A  man  had  two 
sons  ;  and  he  came  to  the  first,  and  said,  Son,  go 
work  to-day  in  the  vineyard.  And  he  answered  and 
said,  I  will  not  :  but  afterward  he  repented  himself 
and  went.  And  he  came  to  the  second,  and  said  like- 
wise. And  he  answered  and  said,  I  go,  sir  :  and  went 
not.  Which  of  the  two  did  the  will  of  his  father } 
They  say.  The  first.  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  that  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go 
into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you.  For  John  came 
unto  you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  ye  believed 
him  not ;  but  the  publicans  and  harlots  believed  him  : 
and  ye,  when  ye  saw  it,  did  not  even  repent  yourselves 
afterward,  that  ye  might  believe  him."  (Matt.  xxi. 
28-32.) 

The  sinner  who  repents  is  forgiven  ;  but  the  self-right- 
eous man  who  falsely  professes  to  be  living  a  righteous 
life,  is  shut  out  of  the  kingdom.  This  is  not  to  say 
that  a  profession  is  vain.  On  the  contrary  it  is  ex- 
pected of  every  true  believer  that  he  will  keep  his 
windows  open  toward  Jerusalem.  "  So  let  your  light 
shine  before  men  that  they  may  see  your  good  works 
and  glorify  your  Father."     But  a  false  profession  is  but 


Privilege   and    Responsibility    67 

sin  upon  sin.  Fringes  and  phylacteries  are  bad  only 
when  they  are  superficial  and  meaningless.  The  fig^ 
tree  was  cursed  not  because  it  bore  leaves  but  because: 
its  leaves  deceived  the  passing  traveler  with  a  false: 
promise  of  fruit.  A  place  on  the  church  roster,  a  seat 
at  the  sacramental  table,  a  Christian  birthright  and  "  a 
name  to  live  "  are  thrice  blessed  when  they  serve  as 
outward  tokens  of  an  inward  grace  ;  otherwise  they 
provoke  the  just  anger  of  God.  He  who  welcomes 
the  penitent  publican  and  harlot  disowns  the  self-right- 
eous Pharisee.  Wherefore  let  us  "  bring  up  the  bot- 
tom of  our  Hfe  to  the  top  of  our  light,"  if  we  would 
have  an  abundant  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God, 


XI. 

REWARDS. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  who  have  followed  me,  in  the  re- 
generation when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  glory, 
ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel.  Matt.  xix.  28. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or 
wife,  or  brethren,  or  parents,  or  children,  for  the  kingdom  of  God's 
sake,  who  shall  not  receive  manifold  more  in  this  time,  and  in  the 
world  to  come  eternal  life.  Luke  xviii.  29-30. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you.  They  have  received  their  reward. 

Matt.  vi.  2,  5,  16. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you  he  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward. 

Matt.  X.  42. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Wheresoever  the  gospel  shall  be  preached 
throughout  the  whole  world,  that  also  which  this  woman  hath  done 
shall  be  spoken  of  for  a  memorial  of  her.  Mark  xiv.  9. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  he  will  set  him  over  all  that  he  hath. 

Matt.  xxiv.  47. 

At  the  outset,  when  the  followers  of  Christ  were  a 
feeble  folk  like  the  conies  and  when  confession  of 
their  faith  meant  loss  and  suffering,  it  was  manifestly 
important  that  they  should  receive  all  possible  stimu- 
lation and  encouragement.     It  was  for  this  reason  no 

68 


Rewards  69 

doubt  that  Jesus  had  so  much  to  say,  and  with   such 
emphasis,  concerning  the  rewards  of  faithful  service. 

On  Thrones  of  Power. 

At  the  close  of  Christ's  interview  with  the  young 
ruler,  who  failed  when  the  test  of  self-renunciation  was 
applied,  Peter  said,  "  Lo  !  we  have  left  all  and  followed 
thee  ;  what  then  shall  we  have  ?  "  It  was  a  worldly 
but  very  natural  expression  ;  and  the  Lord,  consider- 
ate of  weakness,  made  a  wonderful  answer  :  ''  Verily 
I  say  ujito  yon,  that  ye  who  have  follozved  me,  in  the 
7'egeneration  (i.  e.  the  Messianic  Kingdom  begun  at 
Pentecost  and  having  its  consummation  in  the  millenial 
reign),  wJien  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of 
his  glory,  ye  shall  also  sit  npon  tzuelve  thrones,  jnelging 
the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel!'  (Matt.  xix.  28.)  Whether 
this  great  promise  is  to  be  literally  fulfilled  is  an  open 
question  ;  though  I  see  no  reason  why  the  apostles 
of  Christ  should  not  be  thus  promoted  to  positions  of 
authority.  In  any  case,  however,  the  promise  has 
been  already  fulfilled  in  the  ever-increasing  influence 
of  these  apostles  during  the  progress  of  the  centuries. 
Their  power  has  echpsed  that  of  the  Caesars ;  their 
authority  has  survived  that  of  the  rabbis  of  Jewry. 
Their  cause  has  triumphed  and  their  word  is  with  power 
among  the  whole  Israel  of  God. 

An  Himdred  Fold. 
The  promise  given  to  the  Twelve  that  they  should  sit 


70         The    Verilies    of  Jesus 

on  thrones  of  power  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  was  im- 
mediately extended,  in  other  form,  to  al]  his  disciples 
then  and  thereafter  :  "  Verily  I  say  iiiito  you.  There  is 
no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or  zvife,  or  brethren,  or 
parents,  or  cJiildren,  for  the  kingdom  of  God' s  sake, 
zvho  shall  not  7reeive  manifold  more  (an  hundred  fold. 
Matt.)  in  this  time,  and  in  the  world  to  come  etei'nal 
life.  "  (Luke  xviii.  29.)  The  time  was  coming  when 
believers  were  to  be  required,  for  the  truth's  sake,  to 
suffer  the  loss  of  earthly  possessions  and  the  sunder- 
ing of  earth's  dearest  ties  ;  and  in  their  adversity  this 
promise  was  destined  to  be  like  a  girdle  about  their 
loins. 

''An  hundred  fold  in  this  present  time  !  "  Here  is 
something  better  than  gold-bearing  bonds.  Saul  of 
Tarsus  proved  the  truth  of  it.  His  conversion  to 
Christ  meant  the  giving  up  of  home,  professional  out- 
look, friends,  prosperity,  ecclesiastical  standing,  every- 
thing ;  yet  when  writing  to  Timothy,  after  years  had 
passed,  he  said,  "  Godliness  is  profitable  for  all  things, 
having  promise  of  the  life  which  now  is,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come."  (i  Tim.  iv.  8.) 

"  And  in  the  time  to  come  eternal  life."  Who 
shall  estimate  this  }  Who  can  tell  the  treasures  in  this 
casket }  "  Eye  hath  not  seen  nor  ear  heard,  neither 
have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  the  things  which 
God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him."  * 

*  The  quotations  of  Scripture  in  this  book  are,  with  this  exception 
from   the  American  Revision.     In  this  instance,  however,  the  Ameri- 


Rewards  7 1 

"  TJiey  Jiavc  TJicir Reward!' 

In  the  enunciation  of  the  principles  of  his  kingdom 
our  Lord  had  this  to  say  about  almsgiving,  as  a 
particular  form  of  righteousness  :  "  Take  heed  that 
ye  do  not  your  righteousness  before  men,  to  be  seen 
of  them  :  else  ye  have  no  reward  with  your  Father 
who  is  in  heaven.  When  therefore  thou  doest  alms, 
sound  not  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypocrites  do 
in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may 
have  glory  of  men.  Verily^  I  say  luito  yon,  They 
have  received  reivardy  (Matt.  vi.  i,  2.)  The  em- 
phasis of  the  Verily  is  on  the  word  "have "  or  "have  re- 
ceived." The  hypocrites  (literally,  mask-wearers), 
who  cast  their  coins  into  the  trumpet-mouths  of 
chests  in  the  temple  treasury  so  conspicuously  as 
attract  attention,  have  their  reward  here  and  now  in 
the  praise  of  men.  The  Greek  word  apekonsi  indi- 
cates a  receipt  in  full. 

A  like  statement  is  made  as  to  prayer :  "  And 
when  ye  pray,  ye  shalt  not  be  as  the  hypocrites  :  for 
they  love  to  stand  and  pray  in  the  synagogues  and  in 
the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen  of 
men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  They  have  received 
their  reivardy  (Matt.  vi.  5.)  They  get  their  wages, 
what  they  have  earned,  here  and  now,  in  a  reputation 

can  rendering  is  so  unnecessarily  awkward  that  I  decline  to  follow  it. 
It  runs  on  this  wise:  "  Things  which  eye  saw  not  and  ears  hear  not 
and  which  entered  not  into  the  heart  of  man,  whatsoever  things  God 
prepared  for  them  that  love  him." 


72         The   Verilies  of  Jesus 

for  piety.  They  were  not  to  look  for  an  answer  to  their 
prayers,  since  this  was  not  what  was  uppermost  in 
their  minds.  They  prayed  in  order  that  they  might 
be  seen  of  men  ;  and  men  saw  them  and  said,  "  Behold 
their  devotion  !  "  What  more  could  they  ask  .?  "  They 
have  received  their  reward,"  in  self-complacency  and 
spiritual  pride.     The  account  is  closed. 

So,  also,  as  to  fasting  :  "  Moreover  when  ye  fast, 
be  not,  as  the  hypocrites,  of  a  sad  countenance  :  for 
they  disfigure  their  faces,  that  they  may  be  seen  of 
men  to  fast.  Vci'ily  I  say  unto  you,  They  have  re- 
ceived their  rezvard^  (Matt.  vi.  i6.)  It  was  the  cus- 
tom, with  those  who  desired  a  reputation  for  singular 
piety,  to  forego  their  usual  ablutions  and  hair-dressing, 
to  wear  sack-cloth  and  put  ashes  on  their  faces,  so 
that  they  might  "  be  seen  of  men  to  fast."  And  for 
this  they  secured  a  present  recompense  in  the  applause 
of  spectators,  who  said,  "  Behold,  the  piety  of  these 
men  !  "  But  God,  who  looketh  on  the  heart,  saw  no 
merit  in  it.  A  true  fast  is  sincere  sorrow  for  sin  and 
abstinence  from  it. 


"  Is  this  a  fast — to  keep 
The  larder  lean, 
And  clean 
From  fat  of  veals  and  sheep  ? 
"  Is  it  to  quit  the  dish 
Of  flesh,  yet  still 
To  fill 
The  platter  high  with  fish  ? 


Rewards  73 

"  Is  it  to  fast  an  hour, 
Or  ragged  to  go, 
Or  show 
A  downcast  look,  and  sour  ? 

"  No  !  '  tis  a  fast  to  dole 
Thy  sheaf  of  wheat. 
And  meat. 
Unto  the  hungry  soul. 

*'  It  is  to  fast  from  strife. 
From  old  debate 
And  hate, — 
To  circumcise  thy  life ; 

"  To  show  a  heart  grief-rent ; 
To  starve  thy  sin. 
Not  bin  ;  — 
And  that's  to  keep  thy  Lent." 

They  shall  not  lose  their  Rezvard. 

In  speaking  of  the  treatment  accorded  to  his  dis- 
ciples our  Lord  was  pleased  to  identify  his  interests 
with  theirs,  saying  "  He  that  receiveth  you,  receiveth 
me."  His  tender  interest  in  their  welfare  is  manifest 
in  the  Verily  that  followed  :  ''And  whosoever  shall 
give  to  drink  niito  one  of  these  little  ones  a  cup  of  cold 
luater  ojily,  ifi  the  name  of  a  disciple,  Veidly  I  say  unto 
you,  lie  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  rezvard. ' '  ( Matt,  x,  42. ) 
Observe  the  endearing  term  "  these  little  ones."  He 
is  speaking  not  only  of  the  twelve  apostles  but  of  the 
humblest  of  his  followers.  And  observe  the  small 
kindness,  "a  cup  of  cold  water."  Observe,  also,  that 
the  kindness  referred  to  is  ministered  to  a  disciple  "  in 


74        The   Verilies   of  J 


esus 


the  name  of  a  disciple  ; "  and  the  reward,  which  shall 
certainly  be  won,  is  the  commendation  of  the  Master, 
"  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  mito  one  of  these  my  brethren, 
even  these  least,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

The  Ointment  of  Spikenard. 

Our  Lord  and  his  disciples  were  being  entertained 
in  the  house  of  one  Simon,  who  appears  to  have  been 
healed  of  leprosy  and  took  this  method  of  showing  his 
gratitude.  While  they  sat  at  supper  Mary,  the  sister 
of  Lazarus,  came  with  an  alabaster  box  of  spikenard 
and  anointed  his  head.  There  were  some  in  the  com- 
pany who  murmured  against  the  "  waste  "  ;  whereupon 
Jesus  said,  "  Let  her  alone  ;  why  trouble  ye  her }  she 
hath  wrought  a  good  work  on  me.  And  verily  I  say 
unto  yo?i,  Wheresoever  the  gospel  shall  be  preacJied 
thi'onghout  the  ivhole  world,  that  also  zvhieh  this 
ivoman  hath  done  shall  be  spoken  of  for  a  memojdal  of 
herr      (Mark  xiv.  9.) 

We  hear  a  great  deal  about  "good  works,"  and  it 
is  important  that  we  should  know  what  a  good  w^ork 
is.  Here  is  our  Lord's  definition  ;  the  anointing  of 
his  head  was  declared  to  be  a  good  work,  and  it  was 
particularly  so  because  it  was  wrought  on  him.  Any- 
thing done  for  Christ's  sake  is  acceptable  to  God. 

And  its  reward  is  sure.  The  good  work  of  Mary 
has  been  published  throughout  the  ever-increasing 
realms  of  Christendom  for  nineteen  centuries.  It  is  a 
memorial  to  her  love.     The  true  token  of  love  is  per- 


Rewards  7  5 

sonal  ministry.  The  estimated  value  of  the  ointment 
in  this  case  was  about  fifty  dollars ;  but  her  deed  was 
appraised  in  the  words  "  She  hath  done  what  she 
could."  This  is  the  highest  praise,  since  angels  could 
do  no  more.  The  ministry  of  Christian  love  is  hke 
ointment  in  the  hand  "  which  bewrayeth  itself."  God 
and  men  take  knowledge  of  it. 

"  Oh  may  we  thus,  like  loving  Mary, 

Ever  our  choicest  offerings  bring, 

Nor  grudging  of  our  toil,  nor  chary 

Of  costly  service  to  our  King! 
"  What  though  the  scornful  world,  deriding 

Such  waste  of  love,  of  service,  fears  ? 
Still  let  me  pour,  through  taunt  and  chiding, 
The  rich  libation  of  my  tears. 
"  I  bring  my  box  of  alabaster; 

Accepted  let  the  offering  rise  ! 
So  grateful  tears  shall  flow  the  fastef. 
In  founts  of  gladness  from  mine  eyes  !" 

Riilcr  Over  All  His  Goods. 

Watch  !  Watch  !  "  Let  the  door  be  on  the  latch  in 
your  home,  for  it  may  be  in  the  morning  he  will  come." 

In  many  ways  Jesus  enjoined  on  his  disciples  the 
need  of  watchfulness  in  view  of  his  coming  to  judg- 
ment. Here  the  Parable  of  the  Householder  is  used 
to  enforce  it  :  "  Who  then  is  the  faithful  and  wise  serv- 
ant, whom  his  lord  hath  set  over  his  household,  to 
give  them  their  food  in  due  season  }■■  Blessed  is  that 
servant,  whom  his  lord  when  he  cometh  shall  find  so 


76         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

doing.  Verily,  I  say  unto  yon,  that  he  zvill  set  him 
over  all  that  he  JiatJi^  (Matt.  xxiv.  47.)  That  is,  pro- 
motion is  the  reward  of  faithfuhiess.  "  To  him  that 
hath  shall  be  given."  A  true  Christian  loves  the  priv- 
ilege of  service,  and  no  compensation  for  service  can, 
to  his  mind,  exceed  the  hope  of  being  permitted  to 
serve  in  greater  measure  and  in  larger  ways. 


XII. 

PUNISHMENT. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not.  Matt.  xxv.  12. 

Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  Thou  shalt  by  no  means  come  out  thence, 
till  thou  have  paid  the  last  farthing.  Matt.  v.  26. 

The  natural  heart  would  fain  believe  that  in  the 
land  that  lies  beyond  the  river  of  death  all  the  im- 
mortals are  permitted  to  wander  in  green  pastures  and 
pluck  the  fruits  of  the  same  tree  of  life ;  but,  aside 
from  revelation,  there  is  that  within  the  soul  which 
denies  the  possibility  of  this.  We  know  full  well, 
even  if  God  had  never  told  us,  that  betw^een  the  holy 
and  unholy  in  that  other  world,  there  must  be  an  im- 
passable gulf.  For  what  fellowship  is  there  between 
light  and  darkness } 

You  may  cherish  only  the  kindest  feelings  toward 
the  poor  drunkard  who  knocks  at  your  door  and  begs 
for  shelter ;  but  you  do  not  invite  him,  ragged  and 
filthy,  to  make  himself  at  home  in  your  family  circle. 
Thus  it  is  with  sinners  in  the  life  hereafter ;  they  can- 
not be  received  into  the  company  of  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  God.     As  they  were  here,  so  they  shall 

77 


78  The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

be  there ;  as  it  is  written,  "  He  that  is  filthy  let  him 
be  filthy  still."  How  then  can  they  dwell  with  those 
who  have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ?  They  must  depart  to  their 
"  own  place  ;  "  and  that  place  becomes  hell  not  by 
reason  of  its  being  a  bottomless  pit  or  a  furnace  of  fire, 
or  a  region  of  outer  darkness,  but  because  its  inhabit- 
ants are  all  alike  polluted  with  the  indelible  stain  of 
sin.  ''  Without  are  dogs,  and  the  sorcerers,  and  the 
fornicators,  and  the  murderers,  and  the  idolators,  and 
every  one  that  loveth  and  maketh  a  he."  Here  is  the 
penal  colony  where  all  earth's  guilty  and  wretched  are 
brought  together  and  forced  to  endure  each  other's 
companionship. 

If  the  fairest  star  in  the  heavens  were  set  apart  to 
be  the  dwelling  of  these  guilty  souls,  and  if  the  richest 
gift  of  mind  and  nature  were  poured  upon  them  in 
eternal  plenty  ;  if  no  righteous  man  were  ever  to  ap- 
pear among  them  ;  if  Sabbath  bells  and  prayers  were 
never  heard  ;  if  the  lust  of  the  flesh  and  the  lust  of 
the  eye  and  the  pride  of  life  were  to  keep  a  never- 
ceasing  saturnalia,  with  no  restriction  from  God  or 
conscience ;  this  society  would  verify  and  illustrate 
the  Scriptural  law  of  retribution  to  the  uttermost. 
For  there  can  be  no  real  happiness  without  God  :  and 
the  sentence  upon  those  without  is,  *'  Vciily  I  say 
ujito  you,  I  know  you  noty  (Matt.  xxv.  12.) 

If  Paris  during  the  "  reign  of  terror,"  when  no  re- 
straint was  laid  upon  passion  and  lust,  became  so  hor- 


Punishment  yg 

rible  that  thieves  and  harlots  fled  from  it  with  their 
ears  stopped,  as  from  a  burning  Sodom  ;  what  must 
that  place  be  where  all  the  vicious  characters  of  earth 
are  brought  together  and  given  free  license  to  revel 
as  they  will  in  an  endless  carnival  of  crime,  with  no 
restraint  put  upon  them  by  the  felt  presence  of  God. 

Just  beyond  the  walls  of  ancient  Jerusalem  was  a 
deep  gorge  where  all  the  waste  and  offal  of  the  city 
were  deposited.  It  was  called  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  ; 
and  from  this  the  Jews  derived  their  name  of  hell — ■ 
a  place  of  stench  and  corruption.  There  is  no  pos- 
sibility there  of  communing  with  the  holy  and  just. 
Each  soul,  itself  polluted,  is  doomed  to  dwell  forever 
in  the  company  of  polluted  souls. 

Leaving  out  all  thought  of  the  unquenchable  fire 
and  the  undying  worm,  there  is  an  unspeakable  pos- 
sibility of  pain  in  this  abandonment  of  the  soul  to  it- 
self. If  wicked  men  grow  weary  of  the  dance  and 
banquet  here,  what  weariness  must  oppress  them 
there  as  the  interminable  aeons  roll  by.  Pleasure 
loses  its  power  to  please.  The  stolen  waters  of  sin 
grow  bitter  as  Marah.  The  thirsty  drink  without 
quenching  their  thirst  ;  and  the  hungry  eat  of  the 
fruit  of  lust,  that  seemed  so  tempting  when  it  hung 
from  forbidden  trees,  to  find  that  now  when  they  may 
gather  it  freely  everywhere,  it  turns  to  ashes  on  their 
lips  !  The  wheel  of  Ixion  rolls  round  and  round  for- 
ever !  Sisyphus  drags  his  burden  up  the  hill  once  and 
again  forever ! 


8o         The   Verilies   of  Jesus  / 

This  banishment  from  God  is  called  "  outer  dark- 
ness." To  be  exiled  from  the  presence  of  him  who 
alone  can  satisfy  the  soul,  who  alone  is  the  fountain 
of  spiritual  life,  and  without  whom  all  is  emptiness 
and  vanity,  who  can  deliver  from  the  guilt  and  bond- 
age of  sin  and  replenish  the  heart  with  joy  till  it 
runneth  over — this,  of  itself,  is  to  be  bound  with 
"  everlasting  chains."  Hell  could  be  nothing  worse 
than  to  hear  forever  the  voice  of  the  Father  saying, 
"  /  never  kneiv  yon  !  " 

It  is  a  proverb  among  the  French  that  "  Punishment 
is  the  recoil  of  crime  ;  "  the  strength  of  the  back-stroke 
being  in  the  proportion  to  original  impulse.  The 
duration  of  punishment  must  therefore  be  as  the  du- 
ration of  guilt.  But  guilt,  in  its  very  nature,  is  eternal ; 
it  can  only  be  removed  by  changing  the  structure  of 
the  soul,  which  cannot  be  done  except  by  divine 
power  in  regeneration.  Once  guilty  is  always  guilty  ;  a 
thief  to-day  is  a  thief  to-morrow  and  forever.  There 
is  no  expiatory  virtue  in  suffering. 

"  How  then  is  it,"  you  ask,  *'  that  human  law  exacts 
a  limited  penalty  of  the  criminal  and  thereafter  regards 
the  crime  as  expiated  .''  "  The  answer  is  that  human 
law  does  not  recognize  guilt  as  such  at  all  ;  that  is, 
guilt  as  incurred  by  a  violation  of  moral  law.  It  pun- 
ishes only  for  the  protection  of  society,  and  to  this 
end  a  limited  penalty  may  be  sufficient.  But  God  re- 
gards men  not  only  in  their  relations  to  their  fellow 
men  but  as  individuals ;  and  takes  cognizance  of  guilt 


Punishment  8 1 

as  a  violation  of  the  moral  law.  So  long  as  any  human 
soul  is  stained  with  guilt,  in  this  sense,  so  long  must 
its  punishment  go  on. 

Guilt  is  the  incurring  of  a  debt  to  justice  ;  **  Verily y 
I  say  unto  thee,  TJiou  sJialt  by  no  means  come  out 
tJience  till  tJiou  Jiave  paid  the  last  fartJiing!'  (Matt., 
V.  26.)  Whenever  that  debt  is  canceled  the  soul  is 
restored  to  the  favor  of  God.  But  what  shall  pay  it  } 
Punishment  .?  This  has  no  purifying  power  ;  it  cannot 
remove  guilt,  and  therefore  it  cannot  stay  the  aveng- 
ing sword.  Sin  is  now  woven  into  the  structure  of 
the  soul  and  "  there  is  no  remedy." 

If  salvation  were  offered  now,  upon  condition  of 
repentance,  is  it  conceivable  that  a  sinful  soul  could 
repent  in  such  circumstances  ?  There  is  more  hope 
that  a  planet  thrown  out  of  the  plane  of  its  orbit  and 
wheeling  through  space  at  random  should  return  of  it- 
self to  its  proper  place  in  the  order  of  the  universe. 
The  spirits  of  the  lost  are  left  to  themselves.  No 
rainbow  spans  the  abyss.  "  Eternity,"  says  Bridaine, 
"  is  a  timepiece  whose  pendulum  speaks  incessantly, 
repeating  two  words  only  in  the  silence  of  the  tomb  : 
ever,  never  ;  ever,  never  !  During  these  vibrations  a 
soul  cries  out,  '  What  is  the  hour  .? '  and  the  voice  of 
another  soul  repHes,  '  Eternity  ! ' " 

F 


XIII. 
INASMUCH. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my 
brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me.  Then  shall  he  say  also 
unto  them  on  the  left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  the  eternal 
fire,  which  is  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels  :  for  I  was  hungry, 
and  ye  did  not  give  me  to  eat ;  I  w^as  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink  ; 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in  ;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  not ; 
sick  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited  me  not.  Then  shall  they  also  an- 
swer, saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  hungry,  or  athirst,  or  a  stranger, 
or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee  ?  Then 
shall  he  answer  them,  saying.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  not  unto  one  of  these  least,  ye  did  it  not  unto  me. 

Matt.  XXV.    40-45. 

He  was  a  wise  student  of  human  nature  who  said, 
"  All  the  world's  a  stage  ;  and  all  the  men  and  women 
merely  players."  We  cover  up  our  faults  and  virtues 
alike,  and  thus  deceive  not  only  the  audience  but  our- 
selves as  well. 

How  many  mountebanks  there  are  who  palm  them- 
selves off  as  pubHc  benefactors  ;  like  those  Pharisees 
who,  devouring  widows'  houses,  flung  their  coins  into 
the  brazen  mouth  of  Corban,  as  if  to  say,  "  Behold  how 
I  love  my  fellow  men  !  "     And,  on  the  other  hand,  how 


Inasmuch  83 

many  philanthropists  there  are  who,  doing  good  sub 
rosa,  are  quite  unconscious  of  it. 

It  is  apparent  that  we  need  a  divine  Verily  in  this 
matter.  Our  definitions  are  so  false,  our  judgments 
so  shallow,  that  we  are  in  danger  of  missing  the  point 
altogether.  And  when  our  Lord  speaks,  it  is  to  show 
that  his  thoughts  are  not  as  our  thoughts.  His  is  an 
unusual  way  of  thinking,  wherefore  he  must  needs 
give  us  the  Verily  to  emphasize  it. 

Here  is  the  picture :  The  followers  of  Jesus  are 
standing  before  him  in  judgment.  In  the  light  of  his 
ineffable  glory  they  are  thinking  of  their  sins  and 
shortcomings,  of  wasted  privileges  and  lost  opportuni- 
ties, and  saying  to  themselves,  "  We  have  neglected 
the  things  we  ought  to  have  done  and  have  done  the 
things  we  ought  not."  But  listen  :  ''  Come,  ye  blessed  ! 
For  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  to  eat ;  I  was 
thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink  ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and 
ye  took  me  in  ;  I  was  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me ; 
I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me  ;  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye 
came  unto  me."  Now  mark  their  surprise.  They 
never  dreamed  of  such  a  denouement.  They  had 
hoped  for  mercy  but  here  is  more  :  "  Enter  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord  !  "  We  may  not  guess  what  follows  : 
for  "  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have 
entered  into  the  heart  of  man  the  things  which  God 
hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him." 

But  mark  their  surprise  :  "  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee 
hungry,  and  fed  thee  .?  or  athirst  and  gave  thee  drink  ? 


84         The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

And  when  saw  we  thee  a  stranger  and  took  thee  in, 
or  naked  and  clothed  thee  ?  Or  when  saw  we  thee  sick 
and  in  prison  and  visited  thee  ? "  And  the  explanation 
is  so  unusual,  so  contrary  to  our  way  of  thinking,  so 
amazing  that  we  could  scarcely  believe  were  not  the 
emphasis  put  upon  it  :  Verily  I  say  unto  yon,  Inasmuch 
as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my  bretJiren,  evert  these 
least,  ye  did  it  nnto  me!'      (Matt.  xxv.  40.) 

Now  this  means,  to  begin  with,  that  the  best  sort  of 
goodness  is  that  which  has  the  least  alloy  of  self-con- 
sciousness in  it.  Much  of  the  world's  *'  charity  "  is 
wrought  for  selfish  ends.  MiUionaires  build  homes  for 
the  poor,  schools,  libraries,  churches,  hospitals  and  re- 
formatories, and  carve  their  names  over  the  doorways. 
Philanthropists  oftentimes  sound  a  trumpet  before 
them.  Abou  ben  Adhem  gives  to  a  beggar  that  he 
may  relieve  himself  of  the  pain  of  pity  or  warm  him- 
self with  *' the  generous  pleasure  of  a  kindly  deed." 
But  true  benevolence  is  benevolent  not  for  self's 
sake  but  for  the  sake  of  the  other  man.  Wherefore 
the  Lord  said,  "  When  thou  doest  alms  let  not  thy 
left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth  : "  that  is, 
divest  thyself  of  all  self-praise,  self-pleasing,  self-satis- 
faction. Thus  it  is  written,  "  Love  vaunteth  not  itself, 
is  not  puffed  up,  seeketh  not  its  own." 

Again,  this  Verily  emphasizes  the  fact  that  the  sum 
total  of  benevolence  is  rather  a  great  bundle  of  small 
kindnesses  than  one  or  a  few  great  ones.  It  seems  a 
trifling  matter  to  put  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  thirsty 


Inasmuch  85 

lips  or  lend  a  hand  to  the  fallen,  yet  these  are  the 
true  philanthropies. 

"  A  little  bit  of  patience  often  makes  the  sunshine  come, 
And  a  little  bit  of  love  makes  a  verv  happy  home  ; 
A  little  bit  of  hope  makes  a  rainy  day  look  gay, 
And  a  Uttle  bit  of  charity  makes  glad  a  weary  way." 

We  are  apt  to  miss  our  opportunities  of  serving  faith- 
fully in  the  ranks  by  waiting-  for  a  commission  to  lead 
the  army.  We  want  to  preach  like  Paul,  and  see 
souls  converted  as  doves  flock  to  their  windows  ;  while 
Christ  wants  us  to  evangelize  the  world  by  letting  our 
light  shine  every  moment  of  every  day.  The  oppor- 
tunity is  all  about  us.  I  have  heard  of  a  young  woman 
who,  after  listening  to  a  sermon  on  "  Whatsoever  thy 
hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might,"  left  the 
meeting  with  a  resolve  that  she  would  help  the  first 
needy  soul  she  met.  On  her  way  home  she  passed  a 
police  station  ;  and  it  chanced  that  a  released  prisoner, 
a  woman  of  the  town,  was  just  coming  down  the 
steps.  "Now  is  my  chance,"  she  inwardly  said,  "to 
speak  a  kind  word  in  the  Master's  name ;  but,  alas, 
her  knees  shook  and  her  tongue  clave  to  the  roof  of 
her  mouth.  But  the  opportunity  was  going  and  she 
must  act ;  so,  as  the  poor  creature  passed,  she  laid  a 
hand  upon  her  shoulder  and  kissed  her.  The  woman 
shrank  back,  crying  "  Don't  do  that !  Oh,  don't  do 
that !  Nobody's  done  that  since  mother  died  !  "  And 
the  way  was  thus  opened  for  the  saving  of  a  soul.  These 
are  the  things  the  Master  requires  of  us. 


86         The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

And  again,  this  Verily  emphasizes  the  important 
fact  that  Christ  is  met  with  in  strange  ways  and 
places.  He  honors  the  sanctuary  and  the  closet  with 
his  presence  ;  but  if  we  really  desire  to  serve  him  let 
us  climb  rickety  stairways  and  descend  into  base- 
ments, visit  the  prisons  and  hospitals  ;  and  we  shall 
find  him  there  in  the  jDcrson  of  the  "  little  ones."  He 
is  pleased  to  identify  himself  with  the  poor  and  suffer- 
ing ;  so  that  when  we  do  a  kindness  to  them  in  his 
name  it  is  as  if  we  did  it  unto  him.  It  is  a  mistake 
to  expect  Christ  to  appear  before  us,  in  propria  persona, 
asking  to  be  fed,  clothed,  and  visited.  The  least  of 
his  brethren  must  be  as  Christ  himself  to  us.  In 
the  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  he  is  represented  as  say- 
ing, 

"The  Holy  Supper  is  kept,  indeed, 
In  whatso  we  share  with  another's  need  ; 
Not  what  we  give,  but  what  we  share, 
For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare  ; 
Who  gives  himself  with  his  alms  feeds  three, 
Himself,  his  hungering  neighbor,  and  me." 

So  then,  the  great  matter  is  to  be  sure  that  we  are 
fully  consecrated  to  Christ  and  thus  willing  to  serve 
him  in  whatsoever  guise  or  incognito  he  may  present 
himself  to  us.  And  the  only  way  of  making  sure  of 
this  IS  \'^  do  good  as  we  have  opportunity  unto  all 
men. 

Ai:d  if  we  are  t-aie  Christians  we  are  really  doing 
this,  whether  w^  know  it  or  not.        Let  us  not  worry. 


Inasmuch  87 

Christ  is  not  "a  hard  man."  He  sees  good  in  our 
Uves  where  we  are  not  conscious  of  it.  He  knows  the 
main  purpose  ;  and  however  we  may  trip  and  stumble, 
having  loved  us,  he  will  love  us  to  the  end.  I  believe 
that  on  the  whole,  he  thinks  better  of  us  than  we  do  of 
ourseh'es.  He  is  placing  unknown  things  to  our 
credit  and  preparing  a  great  surprise  for  us.  We  look 
within  too  much,  subject  our  motives  to  too  precise 
an  analysis,  grow  discouraged  without  reason,  need- 
lessly doubt  our  purity  of  purpose  and  tremble  without 
reason  in  anticipation  of  the  Judgment  Day.  He  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne  is  our  Best  Friend.  He  remem- 
bereth  that  we  are  dust.  He  knows  our  trials,  mis- 
givings, and  self-accusations  :  but  all  is  well  if  we  can 
stand  before  him,  like  Peter,  saying  "  Yea,  Lord,  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee !  " 


XIV. 

RICHES. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  It  is  hard  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  Matt.  xix.  23. 

To  those  who,  with  a  maHgn  purpose,  asked  Jesus 
concerning  the  lawfulness  of  the  capitation  tax,  he 
said,  "  Show  me  a  penny."  The  coin  in  evidence  was 
probably  a  silver  denarius,  having  on  one  side  the 
image  of  Tiberius  and  on  the  other  the  legend,  Pontifex 
Maximus.  It  was  an  honest  coin  and  worthy  of  all 
respect ;  let  it  serve  our  purpose,  by  way  of  sugges- 
tion, as  to  the  teaching  of  Christ  concerning  the  use 
and  abuse  of  money.  Hear  now  the  Catechism  of 
the  Penny. 

Question  i. — What  is  the  moral  quality  of  this 
coin .? 

Answer. — It  has  none.  Everything  depends  on 
what  is  done  with  it.  Money  is  called  *'  currency  " 
(from  currere,  to  run),  because  it  passes  to  and  fro 
like  a  messenger  on  errands  good  or  evil.  It  is  a 
mere  convenience,  a  medium  of  exchange,  "  a  common 
denominator  of  the  fractions  of   life."     It  was  silver 


Riches  89 


in  this  instance ;  but  shells  or  wampum,  with  conven- 
tional approval,  would  have  answered  just  as  well. 

There  never  was  a  more  obvious  sophism  than  that 
of  Proudhon,  ''  Property  is  robbery."  If  there  be  any 
robbery  in  the  case,  it  is  not  that  of  the  owner  but  of  the 
indolent  fellow  who  declines  to  own  it.  Industry  is 
honesty  ;  and  industry  wins  the  penny.  Money-mak- 
ing is  a  legitimate  business,  though  multitudes  pervert 
it.  Blessed  is  he  who  has  the  genius  for  it !  The 
larger  his  success,  the  better  for  himself  and  for  the 
world. 

Question  2. — Who  owns  the  penny  .? 

Answer. — Its  ownership  is  threefold.  As  coin  of 
the  realm,  Caesar,  that  is,  the  government,  has  a  trib- 
utary right  in  it.  The  man  in  possession  may  also 
claim  a  just  ownership,  on  the  ground  that  he  has 
earned  it.  But  the  ultimate  ownership,  back  of  both 
Caesar  and  the  possessor,  rests  in  God,  as  Creator  and 
Proprietor  of  all.  Caesar's  claim  is  wholly  derivative, 
since  "  the  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God."  The 
possessor's  claim  is  merely  secondary,  since  his  strength 
of  mind  and  sinew  came  from  God. 

Question  3. — What  is  the  precise  relation  of  the 
possessor  to  his  penny .? 

Answer. — It  is  expressed  in  the  word  stewardship. 
And  just  here  the  teaching  of  Christ  begins.  He 
makes  frequent  use  of  such  terms  as  "  landlord," 
"householder,"  "husbandman."  In  the  Parable  of 
the  Talents  he  represents  God  as  "  a  man,  going  into 


go         The   Verilies   of    Jesus 

another  country,  who  called  his  own  servants  and  de- 
livered unto  them  his  goods."  The  relation  is  set 
forth  still  more  clearly  in  the  Parable  of  the  Pounds, 
where  he  says,  *'  A  certain  nobleman  went  into  a  far 
country,  to  receive  for  himself  a  kingdom,  and  to  re- 
turn. And  he  called  ten  servants  of  his  and  gave 
them  ten  pounds,  and  said  unto  them,  Trade  ye  here- 
with, till  I  come." 

Question  4. — How  long  shall  the  possessor  hold  his 
penny  ? 

Answer. — Until  called  for.  And  it  may  be  called 
for  any  time.  God  speaks  in  many  voices,  ever  and 
anon  requiring  of  his  people  the  things  entrusted  to 
them.  An  account  is  kept,  meanwhile,  in  certain 
"books  of  remembrance;"  and  sooner  or  later  " the 
Lord  of  those  servants  cometh  and  maketh  a  reckon- 
ing with  them." 

In  any  case,  death  ends  the  tenure.  It  is  an  old 
saying,  "There  are  no  pockets  in  shrouds,"  We  take 
nothing  with  us  but  our  very  own  ;  such  as  will,  rea- 
son, habit  and  character.  All  else  drops  from  our 
cold  fingers. 

"  If  thou  art  rich,  thou  art  poor  ; 
For,  Uke  an  ass  whose  back  with  ingots  bows, 
Thou  bear'st  thy  heavy  riches  but  a  season. 
And  death  unloads  thee." 

And  after  death  the  Judgment ;  that  is  the  reckon- 
ing for  goods  entrusted  to  us.     This  day  of  reckoning 


Rich 


es  9 1 


is  a  necessary  factor  in  the  problem  of  human  affairs. 
Our  world  would  be  but  a  topsy-turvy  world  without 
it.  Here  is  a  poor  man  who  has  spent  his  life  in  a 
hard  struggle  to  keep  the  wolf  from  his  door  ;  here  is 
another  of  whom  we  say,  **  Everything  he  touches  turns 
to  gold."  Fortunate  man  ?  Well,  that  depends.  We 
must  wait  to  see  what  happens  at  the  judgment  bar. 
There  the  apparent  inequalities  of  Providence  shall  be 
satisfactorily  accounted  for. 

Question  5. — What  shall  the  possessor  do  with  his 
penny  .? 

Answer. — Three  things  are  possible.  It  is  clear  that 
a  considerable  part  of  a  man's  earnings  must  be  used 
for  the  necessities  of  life  ;  but  what  after  that  ?  What 
about  the  margin  ?  First,  it  may  be  hoarded  ;  like  the 
talent  which  was  wrapped  in  a  napkin  and  buried  in 
the  ground.  The  Lord's  judgment  as  to  this  proce- 
dure is  evident  from  his  words,  "  Thou  wicked  and 
slothful  servant."  And  again  Jesus  said,  "  Lay  not 
up  for  yourself  treasures  upon  the  earth,  where  moth 
and  rust  consume,  and  where  thieves  break  through 
and  steal :  but  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven, 
where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth  consume,  and  where 
thieves  do  not  break  through  nor  steal  :  for  where  thy 
treasure  is,  there  will  thy  heart  be  also." 

A  second  use,  which  the  possessor  may  make  of  his 
penny,  is  to  squander  it.  Thus  the  prodigal,  having 
gotten  his  portion  of  the  inheritance,  "  took  his  journey 
into  a  far  country  and  wasted  his  substance  with  riot- 


g2         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

ous  living."  Another  prodigal,  having  amassed  great 
wealth,  crosses  the  sea  and  gambles  it  away  at  Monte 
Carlo.  No  doubt  there  is  a  temporary  pleasure  in 
such  profligacy  ;  as  Jesus  said,  "  Woe  unto  you  that 
are  rich,  for  ye  have  received  your  consolation."  So 
far  as  we  know,  Dives  in  the  Parable  was  a  respect- 
able gentleman.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  was  ad- 
dicted to  any  flagrant  vices  ;  his  fault  was  utter  selfish- 
ness. He  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  fine  linen  and 
fared  sumptuously  every  day  ;  taking  no  interest  in 
the  beggar  at  his  gate. 

Or,  thirdly,  the  possessor  of  the  penny  may  hold 
it  subject  to  the  divine  call ;  and  he  will  hear  that  call 
in  every  appeal  for  the  material  or  spiritual  betterment 
of  his  fellow-men. 

It  is  not  enough  to  answer  this  demand  with  a  tithe. 
The  tithe  is  a  good  beginning ;  that  is  all.  In  the 
Parable  of  the  Householder  and  his  Vineyard  it  is  said 
"  When  the  season  of  the  fruits  drew  near,  he  sent  his 
servants  to  the  husbandmen,  to  receive  his  fruits." 
The  withholding  of  such  fruits  is  dishonesty.  ''  Will 
a  man  rob  God  ?  Yet  ye  rob  me.  But  ye  say, 
Wherein  have  we  robbed  thee  ?  In  tithes  and  offer- 
ings." (Mai.  iii.  8-10.)  It  is  a  mistake,  however,  to 
suppose  that  our  obligations  are  discharged  when  we 
have  turned  back  to  the  Lord  a  percentage  of  our  in- 
come. The  penny  itself  is  his.  The  vineyard  is  his ; 
the  husbandmen  holding  it  only  and  absolutely  in  trust 
for  him. 


Riches  93 


Question  6. — Are  there  any  dangers  attendant  on 
the  possession  of  the  penny  ? 

Answer. — Yes  ;  many.  There  is  the  danger  that 
the  possessor  will  regard  it  as  his  own.  This  was  the 
fault  of  "a  certain  rich  man,  whose  ground  brought 
forth  plentifully."  (Luke  ii.  17-21,)  "  He  reasoned 
within  himself,  saying,  What  shall  I  do,  because  I 
have  not  where  to  bestow  my  fruits  ?  And  he  said, 
This  will  I  do  ;  I  will  pull  down  my  barns  and  build 
greater ;  and  there  will  I  bestow  all  my  grain  and  my 
goods.  And  I  will  say  to  my  soul.  Soul,  thou  hast 
much  goods  laid  up  for  many  years ;  take  thine  ease, 
eat,  drink,  be  merry.  But  God  said  unto  him.  Thou 
foolish  one,  this  night  is  thy  soul  required  of  thee ; 
and  the  things  which  thou  hast  prepared,  whose  shall 
they  be.?"  He  spoke  of  "  my  fruits,"  "  my  barns," 
and  "my  goods,"  forgetting  the  prior  claim  of  God. 
Indeed,  he  seems  not  to  have  brought  God  into  the 
reckoning  at  all.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that  others 
reason  in  the  same  way.  The  penny  is  oftentimes  a 
most  plausible  sophist.  Christ  spoke  of  "  the  deceit- 
fulness  of  riches,"  likening  them  to  thorns  which 
"choke  the  word,  and  he  becometh  unfruitful."  (Matt. 
xiii.  22.)  In  order  to  verify  his  words  one  has  only 
to  contemplate  the  character  of  certain  possessors  of 
wealth.  How  frequently  it  shrivels  the  heart !  How 
it  blinds  the  eyes  to  fairest  things  !  How  it  "  chokes  " 
the  high  purposes  and  noble  aspirations  of   the  soul ! 

Another   danger  is  in  putting   one's    trust  in  the 


94  The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

penny ;  that  is,  giving  it  a  fictitious  value  and  prece- 
dence of  better  things.  Observe  the  arrogance  of  a 
certain  class.  O  how  lofty  are  their  eyes  and  their 
eyelids  lifted  up !  I  speak  not  now  of  those  who 
serve  God  faithfully  with  their  wealth,  but  of  purse- 
proud  parvenus,  who  make  a  grotesque  display  and 
found  a  false  respectability  upon  it.  It  was  a  man  of 
this  character  who  said  to  John  Bright,  "  Do  you 
know,  sir,  that  I  am  worth  a  million  and  a  half  ster- 
ling ? "  to  whom  the  blunt  old  commoner  replied, 
"  Yes  ;  and  I  know  that  you  are  worth  nothing  else." 
It  was  such  that  Jesus  had  in  mind  when  he  said, 
"  Verily  I  say  tmto  you,  It  is  Jiard  for  a  rich  man  to 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.''  And  when  his 
•disciples  expressed  their  amazement  at  this  sweeping 
proposition,  he  put  a  still  deeper  emphasis  upon  it, 
saying,  "//  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  throtigJi  a  needle's 
eye,  than  for  a  ricJi  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God."     (Matt.  xix.  23-24.) 

If  a  man  find  himself  thus  betrayed  by  his  penny, 
what  shall  he  do .?  Get  rid  of  it !  Aye,  if  needs  be 
by  casting  it  into  the  sea,  as  did  Menecrates,  saying, 
"  I  will  destroy  thee  lest  thou  destroy  me  !  "  This 
was  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  the  case  of  the  young 
man  who  came  running  and  kneeling  to  him,  asking, 
"  Good  Teacher,  What  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit 
eternal  life  .?  "  He  said,  *'  One  thing  thou  lackest ;  go, 
sell  whatsoever  thou  hast  and  give  to  the  poor,  and 
thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven  ;  and  come  follow 


Riches  95 


me."  (Mark  x.  20-22.)  The  young  man  did  not  fol- 
low his  wise  counsel :  "  But  his  countenance  fell  at 
that  saying,  and  he  went  away  sorrowful ;  for  he  was 
one  that  had  great  possessions."  It  was  indeed  a 
heroic  remedy  which  Jesus  here  proposed  ;  but  nothing 
else  would  do.  The  penny  stood  between  the  soul  of 
this  young  man  and  God  ;  therefore  it  must  be  sacri. 
ficed.  If  you  have  wealth  and  cannot  hold  it  in  honest 
trust  for  God,  it  behooves  you  forthwith  to  get  rid  of 
it.  For  all  considerations  in  this  world  lead  up  to  the 
great  problem,  "  What  doth  it  profit  a  man,  to  gain 
the  whole  w^orld  and  forfeit  his  life .? " 

Question  7. — What  are  the  privileges  of  the 
penny  ? 

Answer. — They  are  many  and  great.  The  man 
who,  after  attending  to  the  necessities  of  life,  has  a 
margin  of  wealth,  be  it  little  or  great,  may  use  it  for 
the  betterment  of  the  condition  of  his  fellow-men.  In 
this  case  he  has  his  reward  in  what  Cowper  calls  "  the 
generous  pleasure  of  kindly  deeds."  Sidney  Sm.ith 
said,  ''  I  think  of  life  as  arranged  in  two  piles,  one  of 
misery  and  the  other  of  happiness.  If  to-day  I  can 
take  a  little  from  the  world's  misery  and  add  to  its 
happiness,  I  shall,  at  evening,  think  myself  a  fortunate 
man." 

And  there  are  many  who  make  this  gracious  use 
of  the  penny.  Think  of  the  asylums,  hospitals  and 
other  institutions  of  charity,  built  and  supported  by 
v'oluntary    contributions.       Who    shall    estimate    the 


g6         The   Verilies  of  Jesus 

money  which  is  constantly  expended  in  the  carrying 
on  of  beneficent  reforms  ?  O  there  are  many  "  good 
Samaritans  "  caring  for  the  wounded,  bringing  them 
to  the  inn,  paying  their  fare  and  saying  to  the  host, 
"Take  care  of  him;  and  whatsoever  thou  spendest 
more,  I,  when  I  come  back  again,  will  repay  thee." 
(Luke  X.  35.) 

But  there  is  no  obscuring  the  fact  that  the  merest 
pittance  of  the  wealth  possessed  by  God's  people  is 
used  for  the  propagation  of  the  gospel.  O  the  shame 
of  it !  While  enterprises  for  the  mental  and  physical 
amelioration  of  the  race  are  receiving  millions  of  the 
Lord's  money,  his  church  stretches  out  her  hands  like 
a  mendicant  for  the  meager  support  of  her  endeavors 
to  convert  the  world  !  The  stewards  of  the  Lord's 
treasure  are  praying  every  day,  "  Thy  kingdom  come  !  " 
while  they  lavish  manifold  more  on  themselves  and 
the  physical  needs  of  society  than  on  their  Missionary 
Boards  ;  knowing  all  the  while  that  untold  multitudes 
are  dwelling  in  the  regions  of  darkness  and  of  the  sha- 
dow of  death  !  The  blinding  power  of  great  wealth  is  no- 
where more  conspicuous  than  in  this  fact.  The  word 
of  the  Master  to  his  unfaithful  servant  was,  "  Thou 
oughtest  therefore  to  have  put  my  money  to  the  bank- 
ers, then  I  should  have  received  back  mine  own  with 
interest."  The  Church  is  our  Lord's  "  Exchange," 
through  which  he  would  utilize  the  wealth  entrusted 
to  his  servants,  to  be  held,  subject  to  his  demand,  for 
the  propagation  of  the  gospel  and  the  bringing  of  the 


Rich 


es  97 


world  to  God.  The  time  will  come  when  God's  talents 
will  be  thus  put  at  interest  for  him.  Then  his  mes- 
sengers will  run  to  and  fro  and  the  welkin  will  ring 
with  the  story  of  salvation,  and  the  earth  shall  be 
full  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea. 

G 


XV. 
GIVING. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  This  poor  widow  cast  in  more  than  all  they 
that  are  casting  into  the  treasury.  Mark  xii.  43. 

On  the  last  day  of  his  earthly  ministry  our  Lord 
went  into  the  temple  court  and  "  sat  over  against  the 
treasury."  This  treasury  was  the  place  of  the  chests 
or  receptacles  into  which  the  people  cast  their  offerings, 
corresponding  to  our  collection  boxes  or  baskets.  These 
chests  had  flaring  apertures  like  trumpets,  which  could 
be  made  to  ring  the  giver's  praise. 

"And  he  beheld  (rather,  was  observing)  how  the 
multitude  cast  money  into  the  treasury."  He  saw  the 
rich  throwing  their  gold  pieces  into  the  brazen  throat 
of  the  chests,  and  in  their  resounding  echoes  finding 
their  immediate  reward.  He  observed  the  contribu- 
tors passing  by  one  by  one  until  this  woman  came,  a 
poor  widow,  and  modestly  gave  out  of  her  penury  two 
mites,  that  is,  a  paltry  farthing  ;  whereupon  he  said, 
Vej'ily  I  say  unto  you,  This  poor  ividoiv  cast  in  more 
than  all  they  that  are  casting  into  the  treasury T  Ob- 
serve, (i)   She  gave  modestly.     ''When   thou  doest 

98 


Giving  gg 


alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand 
doeth."  (2)  She  gave  of  her  penury.  God  has  re- 
gard not  so  much  to  what  a  man  gives  as,  to  what  he 
keeps.  This  woman  kept  nothing  ;  the  farthing  was 
"  all  that  she  had."  She  recognized  the  Lord's  owner- 
ship in  her  little  all.  (3)  She  gave  in  faith,  loving 
God  and  believing  that  in  her  penury  he  would  pro- 
vide for  her.  Thus  the  manner,  the  measure  and  the 
motive  of  her  gift  were  all  approved. 

He  sitteth  over  against  the  treasury  still.  All  our 
gifts  are  observed  and  recorded  by  him.  Will  the 
great  ledger  show,  one  day,  a  vast  disparity  between 
what  we  have  lavished  on  ourselves  and  what  we  have 
given  to  God. 

The  rule  of  giving  is  the  same  that  appHes  in  every 
department  of  the  Christian  life,  to  wit,  self  denial. 
David  said  wisely  in  the  matter  of  Araunah's  thresh- 
ing floor,  "  I  will  not  offer  unto  the  Lord  of  that  which 
doth  cost  me  nothing." 

The  poor  man  who  forgets  a  comfort  that  he  may 
cast  a  penny  into  the  Lord's  treasury,  is  more  deserv- 
ing of  praise  than  the  millionaire  who  builds  a  church 
or  endows  a  hospital,  yet  denies  himself  no  luxury. 
God  is  not  satisfied  with  what  Shakespeare  calls  "  the 
shaking  of  our  superflux."  The  members  of  the  Mac- 
edonian church  were  among  the  very  poorest  of  the 
early  Christians,  yet  what  a  fine  eulogium  was  pro- 
nounced upon  them.  "  I  bear  them  witness,"  wrote 
the  apostle,  "  how  their  deep  poverty  abounded  unto 


loo      The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

the  riches  of  their  HberaUty.  For  according  to  their 
power,  yea  and  beyond  their  power,  they  gave  of  their 
own  accord.  And  this,  not  as  we  had  hoped,  but  first 
they  gave  their  own  selves  to  the  Lord." 

A  Christian's  first  duty  is  to  Christ  and  to  the 
Church  which  is  his  bride.  Otherwise  selfishness  is 
a  holier  passion  than  gratitude.  There  is  no  saying 
that  covers  a  greater  multitude  of  sins  and  shortcom- 
ings than  the  proverb  "  Charity  begins  at  home."  It 
is  true  that  "  if  any  provideth  not  for  his  own,  and 
specially  for  his  own  household,  he  hath  denied  the 
faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  unbeliever,"  but  how  much 
better,  pray,  is  he  that  provides  for  his  own  wants  and 
his  own  household  yet  never  seeks  by  prudence  and 
economy  to  share  his  income  with  his  fellow-men  ? 
Shall  it  be  said  that  the  woman  of  Zarephath  did 
wrong  to  offer  the  prophet  a  portion  of  her  meager 
store  until  she  had  first  made  sure  that  her  child  and 
herself  would  not  suffer  by  it  ?  On  the  contrary,  I 
believe  it  might  be  shown,  by  a  process  of  mathemat- 
ical computation,  that  benevolence  is  the  best  possible 
provision  against  hunger  and  nakedness.  No  man 
ever  yet  grew  poor  by  "  lending  to  the  Lord."  There 
is  no  better  investment.  It  is  a  policy  of  insurance 
whose  benefits  accrue  to  our  children's  children.  John 
Bunyan  wrote  : 

"  A  man  there  was — and  people  called  him  mad — 
The  more  he  gave  away  the  more  he  had." 

Is  it  not  always  so  ?     How  else  shall  we  construe  the 


Giving  I  o  1 

promise,  "  Blessed  is  the  liberal  man ;  the  Lord  shall 
make  his  bed  in  sickness  ;  his  horn  shall  be  exalted  ?  " 
"He  that  soweth  sparingly  shall  reap  also  sparingly ; 
and  he  that  soweth  bountifully  shall  reap  also  bounti- 
fully." "  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you,  good 
measure,  pressed  down,  shaken  together,  running  over, 
shall  they  give  into  your  bosom."  "There  is  that 
scattereth,  and  increaseth  yet  more  :  and  there  is  that 
withholdeth  more  than  is  meet,  but  it  tendeth  only  to 
want." 

But  our  giving  should  be  raised  above  all  selfish 
consideration.  We  ought  to  give  not  for  self's  sake, 
but  for  love  of  him  who  for  our  sakes  became  poor 
that  we  by  his  poverty  might  be  made  rich.  The 
gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ.  What 
shall  we  render  unto  him  for  this  unspeakable  gift  ? 
Is  any  offering  of  gold  or  frankincense  or  myrrh  too 
large  to  measure  our  gratitude  ?  Is  any  ointment  of 
spikenard  too  costly  for  the  anointing  of  his  feet  ? 
God's  blessing  is  always  a  gratuity  ;  but,  none  the  less 
does  it  call  for  its  meed  of  gratitude.  And  praise  has 
no  expression  in  human  life  but  love  and  benevolence. 
It  is  wrong  to  regard  our  wealth,  little  or  great,  as 
ours  in  fee  simple  ;  we  hold  it  merely  in  trust.  We 
are  God's  stewards  ;  and  for  the  proper  use  and  in- 
vestment of  every  farthing  assigned  to  us  we  shall  be 
called  to  give  account.  If  we  array  ourselves  in  purple 
and  fine  linen  while  the  poor  lie  at  our  gates  naked 
and  shivering,  or  if  we  dwell  in  houses  of  cedar  while 


I02       The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

the  ark  of  God  is  within  curtains,  it  is  because  we  are 
appropriating  that  which  never  belonged  to  us.  "  Yet 
ye  rob  me,"  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.  "  But  ye  say, 
Wherein  have  we  robbed  thee  ?  In  tithes  and  offer- 
ings !  "  Every  penny  of  our  wealth  is  stamped  with 
the  divine  image  and  superscription  ;  the  gold  and  the 
silver  are  his.  "  Render  therefore  unto  God  the 
things  that  are  God's." 

I  would  rather  be  an  organ-grinder  living  on  the 
charity  of  those  who  love  the  humble  harmony  of 
sweet  sounds,  than  to  be  a  millionaire  with  a  soul  de- 
lighting only  in  the  magnificent  music  of  clinking  coin. 
The  happiest  man  that  ever  lived  w^as  one  who  had 
not  where  to  lay  his  head ;  and  he  revealed  the  secret 
of  his  surpassing  joy  when  he  said,  *'  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive."  "  He  was  the  great  Giver. 
He  came  from  heaven  to  bring  good  gifts  to  men — 
sight  to  the  blind,  peace  to  the  troubled  soul,  rest  to 
the  weary  and  heavy  laden,  light  and  life  to  all  that 
were  in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death  ;  a  cup  of 
God's  cool  water  for  the  parched  lips  of  those  that 
were  thirsting  for  righteousness.  And  to  the  end 
that  these  good  gifts  might  bear  the  name  of  self-deny- 
ing love,  he  gave  his  tears  for  sorrow,  his  blood  for  sin. 
He  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for  the  lost.  Loving  to 
give,  he  gave  all.  He  that  would  be  truly  happy  must 
be  Christlike  in  this  :  **  willing  to  communicate."  It 
was  one  of  the  favorite  sayings  of  Marcus  Aurelius 
that  "an  unshared  pleasure  could  not  be  enjoyed;" 


Giving  103 

and  Ausonius  was  fond  of  saying,  "  An  ingrate  is 
earth's  ugliest  production."  Put  these  two  maxims 
together  and  you  have  the  reason  why  an  illiberal  man 
is  of  all  men  most  miserable.  His  heart  is  a  prison- 
cell  where  a  spirit  that  was  made  to  rejoice  in  love 
and  liberty  and  light  is  bound  with  the  iron  chains  of 
selfishness.  There  are  no  windows  in  his  cell  through 
which  this  captive  may  watch  the  pure  delights  of  his 
fellow-men — no  windows  above  through  which  he  may 
look  toward  the  God  at  whose  right  hand  are  pleasures 
forevermore.  But  the  generous  man  whose  eyes  are 
ever  turned  outward  and  upward,  who  denies  himself 
that  he  may  help  the  needy,  and  spend  and  be  spent 
for  his  Master's  sake ;  who  forgets  himself  in  his  eager- 
ness to  hear  the  widow's  thanks  and  God's  "  Well 
done,  good  serv^ant,"  this  is  the  man  who  has  the  peace 
that  passeth  understanding. 

"  But  for  one  end  are  riches  \Yorth  your  care ; 
To  make  humanity  the  minister 
Of  bounteous  Providence,  and  teach  the  breast 
The  generous  luxury  the  gods  enjoy." 

Giving  is  as  really  a  grace  as  praying  or  serving. 
It  is  an  essential  arc  of  the  great  circle  of  character. 
Wherefore  let  us  give  because  it  is  blessed  to  give. 
"  Give  and  let  not  thy  heart  be  grieved  when  thou 
givest,  because  that  for  this  the  Lord  shall  bless  thee 
in  all  whereunto  thou  puttest  thy  hand."  Give  Hke 
the  liberal  God,  "who  from  his  gracious  nature  doth 
bestow,  nor  stops  to  ask  reward."     Give  because  it 


I04      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

yields  in  this  present  life  a  hundred  fold,  and  in  the 
time  to  come  life  everlasting.  If  God  has  elected  you 
to  riches,  let  not  your  riches  be  tied  like  a  millstone 
about  your  neck,  nor  clutched  till  death  shall  open 
your  cold  fingers  and  cry,  "  Let  go." 

Make  to  yourselves  friends  who  shall  receive  you  into 
everlasting  habitations.  On  the  tombstone  of  the  good 
Earl  of  Devon  and  his  wife  these  words  are  written  : 
"  What  we  spent  we  had,  what  we  left  we  lost,  what 
we  gave  we  have."  All  that  we  store  in  bags  that  wax 
old,  all  that  we  pay  as  a  bribe  to  honor,  all  that  we 
waste  on  follies  that  perish  with  the  using  ;  all  this  is 
gone.  Shrouds  have  no  pockets.  But  what  we  give 
we  keep ;  what  we  lend  to  the  Lord  is  ours  forever. 


XII. 
HIS  EQUALITY  WITH  GOD. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  The  Son  can  do  nothing  of  himself, 
but  what  he  seeth  the  Father  doing :  for  what  things  soever  he  doeth, 
these  the  Son  also  doeth  in  like  manner.  John  v.  19. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Before  Abraham  was  born,  I  am. 

John  viii.  58. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  receiveth  whomsoever  I 
send  receiveth  me ;  and  he  that  receiveth  me  receiveth  him  that  sent 
me.  John  xiii.  20. 

The  problem  of  the  Messiah  is  the  problem  of  the 
ages.  Jesus  is  the  claimant.  Is  Jesus  the  Christ 
or  not  ?  All  earnest  souls  are  interested  in  this 
query. 

"  We  walk  at  high  noon,  and  the  bells 
Call  to  a  thousand  oracles, 
But  the  sound  deafens,  and  the  light 
Is  stronger  than  our  dazzled  sight ; 
The  letters  of  the  sacred  Book 
Glimmer  and  swim  beneath  our  look; 
Still  struggles  in  the  age's  breast 
With  deepening  agony  of  quest 
The  old  entreaty  :  '  Art  thou  he, 
Or  look  we  for  the  Christ  to  be  ? '  " 

105 


io6      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

He  claims  to  be  the  Messiah.  To  the  woman  at 
the  well  he  said,  *'  I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he." 
Over  and  over  again,  on  various  occasions,  he  reiter- 
ated it.  He  insisted  on  his  divine  nature  and  mis- 
sion. Thrice  he  sealed  it  with  a  double  Verily  :  when 
he  affirmed  his  oneness  with  God,  "  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  iiiito  yo2i,  The  Son  can  do  nothijig  of  himself,  but 
ivJiat  he  seeth  the  Father  doing :  for  ivJiat  tilings  so- 
ever lie  doetJi,  these  the  Son  also  doetJi  in  like  manner'" 
(John  v.  19)  ;  again  when  he  arrogated  to  himself  the 
most  sacred  of  the  divine  titles,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
nnto  yon,  Before  Abraham  zuas  born,  lam  "  (John  viii. 
58)  ;  and  again  when  he  identified  himself  with  God 
in  the  fellowship  of  his  disciples,  '*  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
nnto  you,  He  that  reeeiveth  whomsoever  I  sejid  re- 
ceiveth  me ;  and  he  that  reeeiveth  me  reeeiveth  him 
that  send  me y      (John  xiii.  20.) 

The  claim  of  Jesus  is  perfectly  clear.  The  only 
question  is,  does  he  verify  it } 

A  weaver  who  had  made  an  elaborate  piece  of 
tapestry  hung  it,  stretched  upon  the  tenter-hooks,  in 
his  yard.  That  night  it  was  stolen.  A  piece  of  tapes- 
try was  found  by  the  officers  which  seemed  to  answer 
the  description,  but  as  the  pattern  was  not  unlike  that 
of  other  fabrics,  there  must  be  definite  proof.  It  was 
brought  to  the  weaver's  yard  and  there  the  perforations 
in  the  fabric  were  found  to  correspond  precisely  to 
the  tenter-hooks.  This  was  demonstration.  In  like 
manner  if  we  place  the  life  and  character  of  Jesus 


His    Equality  with  God    107 

over  against  all  prophecies  of  Messiah  in  Scripture,  in 
the  sacred  books  of  the  false  religions,  and  in  the 
universal  longings  of  the  race,  we  shall  find  that  there 
is  a  perfect  correspondence  point  by  point.  If  this 
shall  indeed  prove  to  be  the  fact,  we  should  feel  justi- 
fied in  saying  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  indeed  the  long- 
looked-for  Messiah,  the  Christ  of  God. 

I.  His  birth.  It  is  everywhere  agreed  in  these  leg- 
ends and  prophecies  that  the  Messiah  must  be  God- 
man.  This  is  the  basis  of  Anselm's  famous  argu- 
ment. Cur  Dciis  Hovio.  The  Messiah  must  in  his  na- 
ture be  Uke  Jacob's  ladder ;  his  humanity  resting 
upon  the  earth  and  his  divinity  taking  hold  upon  the 
throne  of  God.  At  this  point  Jesus  meets  the  re- 
quirement. Of  him  it  had  been  prophesied,  "  A  vir- 
gin shall  conceive  and  bear  a  son.  and  shall  call  his 
name  Immanuel,  which  is,  being  interpreted,  God  with 
us." 

II.  His  character.  The  One  who  is  to  deliver  the 
race  from  its  sin  must  himself  be  sinless.  But  where 
shall  such  an  One  be  found  }  We  peer,  by  the  light 
of  Diogenes'  lantern,  into  all  human  faces  in  vain. 
There  is  none  that  doeth  good  ;  no,  not  one.  Here 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  unique.  He  betrays  no  con- 
sciousness of  sin,  utters  no  cry  of  penitence,  and  be- 
trays no  concern  for  his  own  salvation.  On  the  other 
hand  he  challenges  the  world  to  find  a  joint  in  the 
harness  of  his  perfect  righteousness.  The  school- 
men of  the  Middle  Ages  discussed  at  great  length  the 


io8      The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

question  whether  he  was  "  not  able  to  sin  or  able  not 
to  sin  ;  "  but  they  never  suggested  that  he  sinned. 
The  judge  who  delivered  him  to  death  brought  him  out 
to  Gabbatha  and  said  to  the  people,  "  I  find  no  fault 
in  him  at  all."  The  centurion,  who  had  charge  of  his 
execution,  was  moved  to  cry,  '*  Verily,  this  was  a  right- 
eous man  !  " 

III.  His  preaching.  The  general  feeling  was,  as 
the  woman  of  Samaria  said,  "  That  the  Messiah  com- 
eth  ;  when  he  is  come,  he  will  declare  unto  us  all 
things."  He  was  to  solve  the  great  questions  of  duty 
and  destiny.  The  carpenter  of  Nazareth  did  this.  He 
touched  the  great  problems  of  the  eternal  life  with  a  bold 
hand.  He  spake  not  as  the  scribes  but  with  author- 
ity. He  untied  knots  that  had  defied  all  the  Athe- 
nian schools.  The  sermons  of  others  die  by  limitation. 
Origen,  Tertullian,  Chrysostom,  their  voices  have  left 
only  a  lingering  echo.  But  the  discourses  of  Jesus,  his 
sermon  to  Nicodemus,  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  his 
sermon  at  the  well,  his  sermon  in  the  plain,  his  ser- 
mon in  the  upper  chamber,  his  sermon  on  the  mount 
of  ascension  are  still  "  burning  thoughts  in  breathing 
words,"  and  they  flame  around  the  world.  A  detach- 
ment of  Roman  soldiers  was  sent  to  arrest  him  as  he 
was  once  teaching  in  Solomon's  porch.  They  lis- 
tened for  a  time  and  were  amazed.  On  returning 
without  their  prisoner,  they  were  asked,  ''  Why  have 
ye  not  brought  him  .?  "  A  strange  answer  was  this, 
"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man." 


His    Equality   with    God    109 

IV.  His  miracles.  These  were  unlike  all  other 
miracles.  Not  only  in  their  beneficence,  but  in  that 
fact  that  they  were  all  symbolical  of  spiritual  truth. 
The  opening  of  blind  eyes  set  forth  the  power  of 
Jesus  to  enable  the  soul  to  see  spiritual  things.  The 
wiping  away  of  the  leper's  spots  was  an  apologue  of 
the  power  of  the  gospel  to  deliver  the  soul  from  the 
defilement  of  sin.  The  healing  of  the  paralytic  gave 
assurance  that  Jesus  could  energize  the  palsied  will, 
and  the  raising  of  Lazarus  was  but  a  shadow  picture 
of  what  the  Mighty  One  is  ever  doing  in  bringing 
forth  those  who  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  from 
the  dark  sepulchre  of  an  endless  despair  into  newness 
of  life.  The  messengers  whom  John  the  Baptist  sent 
to  ask,  "  Art  thou  he  that  cometh }  or  look  we  for  an- 
other ? "  were  told  to  stand  aside  and  see  what  they 
should  see.  Then,  after  Jesus  had  wrought  wonders 
before  them,  he  said,  "  Go  and  tell  John  the  things 
which  ye  hear  and  see  :  the  blind  receive  their  sight, 
and  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the 
deaf  hear,  and  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and  the  poor 
have  good  tidings  preached  to  them." 

V.  His  death.  This  is  the  living  center  of  the  gos- 
pel. All  prophecies,  all  mythological  legends,  all  the 
intuitive  longings  of  the  sinful  race  call  tor  the  vicarious 
death  of  the  Messiah.  Prometheus,  chained  to  the 
rock  with  the  vulture  gnawing  at  his  vitals,  cries  out, 
"  I  must  endure  this  until  one  of  the  gods  shall  come 
and  bear  it  for  me."     The  penalty  of  sin  is  death  ;  as 


iio      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

it  is  written,  "  The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die."  li 
the  Messiah  is  to  deliver  the  race  from  its  penalty, 
he  must  die  for  it.  So  here  we  witness  Jesus  stag- 
gering up  the  slope  of  Calvary  under  the  burden  of 
his  cross — a  mighty  Atlas  bearing  a  world  of  sin 
upon  him.  The  infidel  Rousseau  was  forced  to  pay 
involuntary  tribute  to  the  character  of  Jesus  in  this 
pre-eminent  act  of  self-sacrifice.  He  says,  "  The 
death  of  Socrates,  peacefully  philosophizing  among 
friends,  appears  the  most  agreeable  that  one  could 
wish  :  while  that  of  Jesus,  expiring  in  agonies,  abused, 
insulted,  and  accused  by  a  whole  nation,  is  the  most 
horrible  that  one  could  fear.  Socrates,  indeed,  in  re- 
ceiving the  cup  of  hemlock,  blessed  the  weeping  ex- 
ecutioner who  administered  it ;  but  Jesus,  amidst  ex- 
cruciating tortures,  prayed  for  his  merciless  tormen- 
tors. Yes,  verily,  if  the  life  and  death  of  Socrates 
were  those  of  a  sage,  the  life  and  death  of  Jesus  are 
those  of  a  God." 

VI.  His  resurrection  from  the  dead.  This,  also, 
appears  in  the  universal  foregleam  of  Messiah.  He, 
who  is  to  deliver  the  world  from  death,  cannot  him- 
self be  subject  to  it.  The  Holy  One  must  not  "  see 
corruption "  ;  his  soul  must  not  be  left  in  Sheol. 
The  resurrection  of  Jesus  is  God's  amen  put  upon  his 
redemptive  work.  In  this  we,  who  have  fellowship 
with  Christ,  triumph  over  death  and  hell  ;  as  it  is 
written,  "  Now  hath  Christ  been  raised  from  the  death, 
the   first  fruits   of  them  that  are  asleep.     Then  shall 


His    Equality   with   God     iii 

come  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  Death  is  swal- 
lowed up  in  victory.  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting? 
O  death,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of  death  is 
sin  ;  and  the  power  of  sin  is  the  law  ;  but  thanks  be 
to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

VII.  His  abiding  presence.  The  crowning  proof 
of  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  lies  in  the  fact  that,  hav- 
ing finished  the  work  of  his  ministry,  he  did  not 
abandon  the  world  to  its  fate,  but  took  up  his  abode 
among  us.  He  organized  the  Church  through  which 
he  now  administers  his  redemptive  work  by  the  in- 
fluence of  his  Spirit,  and  will  continue  so  to  do  until  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  shall  become  his  own.  This  is 
the  "  philosophy  of  history."  The  cross  of  Jesus  leads 
the  march  of  progress.  Civilization  is  but  the  brighter 
shining  of  his  face.  All  things  are  moving  on  in  a  ce- 
lestial order  toward  that  golden  age  in  which  Jesus  shall 
reign  where'er  the  sun  does  his  successive  journeys 
run. 


XVII. 
HIS  MEDIATORSHIP. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  shall  see  the  heaven  opened,  and 
the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  man. 

John  i.  51. 

I  believe  no  man  ever  looked  calmly  and  judicially 
into  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  without  yielding  an  as- 
sent to  his  superhuman  claims.  Philip  answered  the 
skepticism  of  Nathanael  by  saying  merely  "  Come  and 
see  "  ;  and  when  the  latter,  with  a  mind  free  from  bias 
and  open  to  conviction,  interviewed  Jesus,  the  result 
was  a  foregone  conclusion. 

The  words  with  which  the  Master  saluted  him  re- 
vealed a  profound  insight  into  his  character  ;  and  when 
he  went  on  to  show  his  acquaintance  with  Nathanael 
in  his  retirement  under  the  fig  tree,  the  man  was  over- 
whelmed with  sudden  conviction ;  "  Rabbi,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  thou  art  the  Son  of  God  ;  thou  art  King  of 
Israel." 

The  answer  of  Jesus  is  full  of  significance,  *'  Because 
I  said  unto  thee,  I  saw  thee  underneath  the  fig  tree, 
believest  thou  ?     Thou   shalt  see  greater  things  than 

T  12 


His    Mediatorship  113 

these.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  yon,  Ye  shall  see  tJie 
Jieavcn  opened,  ajid  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  Son  of  many     (John  i.  51.) 

Here  is  the  setting  forth  of  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant and  comforting  truths  of  the  Gospel,  namely,  the 
Mediatorship  of  Christ.  All  other  interpretations  of 
this  Verily,  such  as  a  reference  to  the  transfiguration 
or  the  ascension,  fall  far  short.  Our  Lord  means  to 
say  that  he  is  the  connecting  link  between  earth  and 
heaven  ;  the  Mediator,  the  Days-man,  the  Restorer ; 
who,  with  one  hand  lifted  to  the  Father's  throne,  and 
another  stretched  out  to  sinners,  brings  the  Creator 
and  the  creature  into  at-one-ment  through  his  gospel 
of  reconciliation  ;  thus  realizing  the  Homeric  dream 
of  "  the  binding  of  this  world  as  with  gold  chains 
about  the  feet  of  God." 

To  this  end  he  presents  himself  as  TJieanthropos, 
or  God-man.  He  must  be  man,  as  Anselm  argues, 
that  he  may  be  able  to  suffer ;  and  he  must  also  be 
God,  that  he  may  suffer  enough  for  all. 

The  two  historic  titles  of  the  Messiah  were  "  Son 
of  God,"  and  "  Son  of  man."  Let  it  be  observed  that 
when  Nathanael  addressed  Jesus  as  "  the  Son  of  God," 
the  latter  did  not  disavow  it,  but  immediately  spoke  of 
himself  as  also  "  the  Son  of  man."  His  divinity  and 
humanity,  are  alike  necessary  to  his  Mediatorial  office. 
He  is  "  very  God  of  very  God  "  and  also  very  man  of 
very  man. 

And  how  picturesquely  he  presents  this  truth  !     Had 


114      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

he  used  the  terminology  of  theological  schools,  or  of 
the  Ecclesiastical  Councils  in  which  this  doctrine  of 
his  Mediatorship  was  subsequently  formulated,  the 
probability  is  that  Nathanael  and  others  like  him 
would  have  been  plunged  into  a  quagmire  of  doubt 
and  wonderment ;  but  this  was  not  his  method.  He 
was  the  great  Kindergartner,  teaching  the  wise  as  if 
they  were  children,  in  "  object  lessons "  which  he 
called  parables.  As  he  enforced  the  truth  of  the  atone- 
ment upon  the  mind  of  the  rabbi  Nicodemus  by  a 
reference  to  the  brazen  serpent,  so  here  he  illustrates 
his  Mediatorship  by  the  familiar  story  of  Jacob's  lad- 
der. 

And  where  could  a  closer  parallel  be  found  ?  Jacob 
went  out  from  his  father's  house  a  lonely  fugitive,  and, 
lighting  upon  a  certain  place,  he  made  him  a  pillow  of 
stones  and  lay  down  to  sleep.  Alone  !  Exiled  from 
home,  pursued  by  just  anger,  sensible  of  guilt,  won- 
dering whether  God  had  forsaken  him.  Then  came 
the  wonderful  dream  ;  "  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth 
and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven,  and  the  angels  of 
God  ascending  and  descending  on  it." 

Are  we  to  understand,  then,  that  Jesus  affirms  the 
ministry  of  angels  ?  Why  not  ?  *'  Are  they  not  all 
ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  do  service  for  them 
that  shall  inherit  salvation  .?"  It  is  a  blessed  truth  ; 
and  such  perversions  as  spiritualism  and  saint-worship 
must  not  drive  us  from  it.  But  observe,  the  ladder  is 
Christ.     There  would  be  no  commerce  of  any  sort  be- 


His   Mediatorship  115 

tween  earth  and  heaven,  were  it  not  for  his  Mediator- 
ship.  All  pleasant  thoughts  that  bind  us  to  the  skies, 
all  hopes  of  reunion  with  those  who  have  gone  before, 
and  all  their  possible  ministries  in  our  behalf  are  due 
to  his  redemptive  work  and  vitally  associated  with  his 
intercession  for  us. 

By  wa}'  of  this  ladder  we  must  return  to  God. 
"  Neither  is  there  any  other  name  under  heaven,  that 
is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must  be  saved." 

By  the  same  Mediatorship  of  Jesus  we  are  sustained 
in  Christian  life  and  service.  For  here  is  the  token 
of  his  perpetual  imminence  :  "  No  one  hath  ascended 
into  heaven,  but  he  that  descended  out  of  heaven,  even 
the  Son  of  man,  who  is  in  heaven."  He  is  there, 
here,  everywhere ;  with  us  alway,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world.  So  that  we  bear  no  cross  alone,  con- 
front no  temptation  alone,  meet  no  obligations  alone, 
bear  no  burdens  alone.  "  The  yoke  is  always  for  two." 
No  task  can  be  onerous  when  we  feel  that  he  helps  us 
to  discharge  it.  Self-dependence  makes  us  weak  and 
miserable  ;  the  sense  of  his  presence  enables  us  to 
glory  in  tribulation.  Joseph  of  Arimathea  must  have 
rejoiced  under  his  cross  when  he  felt  the  touch  of  the 
great  Cross-bearer  beside  him.  "  I  can  do  all  through 
Christ  which  strengtheneth  me."  It  is  never  I  alone 
who  strive  and  suffer  ;  but  always  Christ  and  I. 

And  our  prayers  are  offered  in  his  name.  The  word 
of  power  is  "  for  Jesus'  sake."  The  angels  going  up, 
as  it  were,  with  prayer  and  coming  down  with  blessing, 


ii6      The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

make  their  journeys  through  hhn.  He  ever  liveth  to 
make  intercession  for  us.  Our  unworthy  petitions — 
"and  we  do  often  pray  to  our  own  harms  " — are  sifted 
through  his  wisdom  and  love.  We  on  our  knees  may 
make  a  mistake,  but  he  on  his  throne  never.  This 
makes  it  quite  safe  for  us  to  pray,  and  in  our  prayers 
to  unbosom  ourselves  to  God. 

The  consummation  of  his  Mediatorship  will  be  seen 
on  the  Great  Day.  He  will  stand  as  cur  advocate 
before  the  throne  of  justice.  He  will  assume  our 
place  and  answer  for  us.  Were  we  to  enter  a  plea  for 
ourselves  it  must  be  "  Guilty  "  ;  but  pleading  in  our 
behalf  his  word  is  "Pardoned."  Then,  clothed  with 
the  garment  of  his  imputed  righteousness,  we  shall 
enter  into  his  joy.  And  what  a  song  we  shall  raise 
to  our  Mediator  in  that  day ;  "  Not  unto  us,  not  unto 
us,  O  Lord ;  but  unto  thy  great  name  be  the  glory." 


XVIII. 
A  PROPHET  IN  HIS  OWN   COUNTRY. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  No  prophet  is  acceptable  in  his  own 
country.  Luke  iv.  24. 

The  people  of  Nazareth  were  eager  to  see  and  hear 
Jesus.  Many  things  had  happened  since  he  had 
closed  his  carpenter  shop  and  gone  forth  on  his  min- 
istry. They  never  supposed  that  a  townsman  of  theirs 
would  achieve  such  renown  ;  for  his  name  was  now 
upon  every  lip.  Wherever  he  had  been  he  had  created 
a  sensation  by  his  wonderful  words  and  works.  So 
when  he  made  his  appearance  in  the  synagogue  at  the 
Sabbath  service  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  him  :  and 
when  he  rose  to  expound  the  Scriptures  all  were  on 
the  qui  vive  to  hear  what  he  would  say.  He  turned, 
in  the  scroll  of  Isaiah,  to  the  lesson  of  the  day  :  "  The 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  anointed  me 
to  preach  good  tidings  to  the  poor  :  he  hath  sent  me  to 
proclaim  release  to  the  captives,  and  recovering  of  sight 
to  the  blind,  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to 
proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord."  (Luke  iv. 
18-19.)     He  proceeded  to  apply  this  Messianic  proph- 

117 


ii8       The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

ecy  to  himself,  saying  "  To-day  hath  this  Scripture 
been  fulfilled  in  your  ears  !  " 

And  they  wondered  at  the  gracious  words  which 
proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.  But  their  impression 
was  a  fleeting  one  ;  prejudice  soon  asserted  its  sway, 
and  wonder  and  admiration  gave  place  to  unbelief. 
"  Is  not  this  Joseph's  son  .?  "  they  began  to  ask.  "  Did 
we  not  play  with  him  in  childhood  ?  Has  he  not 
mended  our  furniture  and  made  our  plows  ?  How, 
then,  can  he  be  the  Messiah  .?  This  is  preposterous  ? 
We  know  him  too  well." 

All  of  which  he  answered  by  quoting  a  familiar 
proverb,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  y 02 1,  No  propJiet  is  accept- 
able in  his  own  country ^  (Luke  iv.  24.)  The  imme- 
diate application  of  these  words  is  apparent ;  but  this 
does  not  exhaust  their  meaning.  They  suggest  a 
general  proposition,  far-reaching,  practical,  and  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  warrant  the  use  of  the  Verily,  to 
wit,  there  is  danger  in  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
truth. 

We  have  it  set  forth  in  certain  proverbs  of  our  time, 
such  as,  "  No  man  is  a  hero  to  his  valet,"  "  Familiarity 
breeds  contempt,"  ''  Distance  lends  enchantment  to 
the  view,"  "  Blessings  brighten  as  they  take  their 
flight." 

The  privilege  enjoyed  by  the  members  of  the  house- 
hold at  Nazareth,  in  knowing  Jesus  in  the  routine  of 
common  life,  was  of  inestimable  value,  but  it  had  its 
drawbacks.     It  created  a  natural  prejudice  against  his 


A  Prophet  in  His  Own  Country  119  \ 

supernatural  claims.  No  doubt  his  kinsfolk  would 
have  agreed  as  to  his  unusual  purity  of  character; 
but  that  was  a  very  different  thing  from  admitting 
his  divinity.  So  it  is  written,  "  His  brethren  believed 
not  on  him." 

The  poet  Coleridge  in  the  V^ale  of  Chamonix  was  so 
overwhelmed  by  the  stupendous  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape that  ice  plains  and  mountain-torrents  seemed  to 
be  echoing  "  God  !  "  But  had  a  herdsman,  born  and 
bred  in  the  valley,  been  asked  what  voices  he  heard, 
his  answer  would  probably  have  been,  "  The  bleating  of 
my  sheep  and  lowing  of  my  cattle,"  There  is  always 
the  danger  that  moral  as  well  as  natural  beauty  may 
grow  commonplace  on  intimate  acquaintance.  Where- 
fore  the  warning   of    Jesus   was    not   without  cause. 

We  who  have  been  trained  in  Christian  homes  have 
special  need  of  caution.  We  learned  about  Christ  at 
our  mother's  knees.  We  sat  in  the  villasre  church 
and  heard  the  story  of  the  crucifixion  until  it  became 
an  oft-told  tale.  How  is  it  with  us  now  ?  Are  we 
like  the  people  at  Calvary  who  "  stood  beholding  > " 
When  Antony  discoursed  to  the  populace  over  the 
dead  body  of  Caesar  he  so  aroused  their  emotions  by 
pointing  at  the  cloak,  blood-stained  and  rent  by  the 
assassins'  daggers,  that  there  was  an  immediate  outcry 
for  vengeance.  Surely  the  tragedy  of  Golgotha  should 
have  an  equally  profound  effect  on  those  who  believe 
themselves  to  be  saved  through  it.  But  how  stolid 
our  hearts,  how  slow  the  current  of  our  grief  ! 


I20      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

It  is  related  of  an  ancient  king  that  when  he  heard  of 
Christ's  crucifixion  for  the  first  time,  he  cried,  "  Had 
I  been  there  I  would  have  led  my  army  of  Franks  to 
the  rescue!"  But  we  have  heard  it  so  often!  *' O 
foolish  Galatians,"  writes  Paul,  "who  did  bewitch 
you ;  before  whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  was  openly  set 
forth  crucified  ? " 

The  same  fact  is  evident  in  our  attitude  toward  the 
Scriptures.  One  would  suppose  that  the  old  Book 
would  be  all  the  more  precious  by  reason  of  the  memo- 
ries that  gather  about  it ;  but  this  is  one  of  the  reasons 
urged  in  these  days  for  rejecting  it.  The  written 
Word,  like  the  incarnate  Word,  is  "  not  without  honor 
save  in  its  own  country."  The  heathen  hear  it  gladly. 
Its  truths  are  to  them  as  good  news  from  a  far  country. 
But  we  "  know  it  by  heart ;  "  the  Twenty-third  Psalm, 
the  Fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah,  the  Fourteenth  of 
John,  the  Eighth  of  Romans  are  at  our  finger-tips ; 
and  alas,  how  is  the  fine  gold  dimmed  !  The  very 
fact  that  our  fathers  and  mothers  touched  the  Bible 
with  reverent  hands  and  left  the  stain  of  their  grateful 
tears  upon  its  pages,  is  urged  against  it.  We  are 
admonished  "  to  steer  clear  of  the  traditional  view,"  and 
to  receive  with  caution  the  truths  to  which  our  early 
teaching  inclines  us. 

The  zest  of  public  worship  is  liable  to  wear  off  in 
the  same  way.  How  often  the  aged  and  bed-ridden 
lament  the  loss  of  Church  privileges,  and  how  fre- 
quently we  hear  it  said,  under  such  circumstances,  "  Oh, 


A  Prophet  in  His  Own  Country  121 

I  never  appreciated  the  blessing  until  I  lost  it !  "  On 
a  hunting  trip  in  the  Dakotas,  some  years  ago,  I  came 
upon  a  town  where  public  worship  was  almost  an  un- 
known privilege.  My  consent  to  preach  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday  was  announced  among  the  farmers  of  the 
surrounding  country.  Some  were  there  who  had  not 
heard  a  sermon  for  years  ;  I  have  never  had  a  more 
attentive  or  eager  congregation.  Far  different  is  the 
habit  of  many  professing  Christians  who  live  where 
churches  abound.  How  reluctant,  oftentimes,  their 
attendance  ;  how  languid  their  interest.  Are  they 
surfeited  by  overmuch  privilege  ? 

''  Strange  we  never  prize  the  music 
Till  the  sweet  voiced  bird  is  flown  ; 
Strange  that  we  should  slight  the  violets 
Till  the  lovely  flowers  are  gone ; 
Strange  that  Summer  skies  and  sunshine 
Never  seem  one  half  so  fair, 
As  when  Winter's  snowy  pinions 
vShake  the  white  down  in  the  air  !  " 

And  the  old  hymns,  too,  grow  commonplace  by  usage. 
The  very  associations  that  should  make  them  precious 
seem  to  depreciate  them,  as  coins  passing  from  hand 
to  hand  lose  the  image  and  superscription  of  the  king. 
Take  note  of  the  congregation  when  "  Coronation  "  is 
sung ;  or  "When  I  survey  the  Wondrous  Cross,"  or 
"  Jesus,  Lover  of  my  Soul,"  or  "  Nearer  my  God  to 
Thee."  Time  was  when  these  old  hymns  were  new  ; 
then  they  were  sung  with  tears.  What  has  happened  ? 
Ah,  like  the  prophet  in   his  own   country,  they  have 


122       rhe   Verilies   of  Jesus 

passed  in  and  out  among  us  so  long  and  exchanged 
"  Good  morning  "  with  us  so  often  ! 

What  shall  we  do  to  regain  the  lost  fervor  ?  Think ! 
Gaze  fixedly  at  the  cross  until  "  the  eye  affecteth  the 
heart."  Muse  ;  while  we  are  musing  the  fire  burns. 
Keep  in  constant  vital  touch  with  God.  Without 
this,  prayer  itself  becomes  a  perfunctory  duty,  "  ho- 
sannas  languish  on  our  tongues  and  our  devotion  dies." 

The  people  of  Nazareth  were  "  offended  "  (Uterally, 
scandalized)  at  Jesus  because  his  presence  was  so 
familiar.  That  presence  had  in  it  the  possibility  of 
unspeakable  blessing ;  but  it  was  of  no  advantage  to 
them.  Well  might  Christ  emphasize  the  danger  of 
high  privilege.  To  whom  much  is  given,  of  him  shall 
much  be  required.  What  manner  of  persons  ought 
they  to  be  who  know  all  about  Christ,  live  in  an  at- 
mosphere of  religious  truth,  and  have  easy  access  to 
the  Oracles  and  the  mercy  seat !  Let  us  take  heed 
to  ourselves  least  it  be  said  of  us  that  we  were  "  anear 
the  kirk,  afar  frae  God." 


XIX. 
OUR  GREATER  WORKS. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  me,  the  works 
that  I  do  shall  he  do  also  ;  and  greater  works  than  these  shall  he  do ; 
because  I  go  unto  the  Father.  John  xiv.  12. 

It  is  recorded  of  Jesus  that,  as  he  approached  the 
cross,  "  having  loved  his  own,  he  loved  them  unto  the 
end."  He  gathered  the  disciples  in  the  upper  room, 
and  sought  to  comfort  them  in  view  of  their  impending 
sorrow.  One  of  the  great  promises  given  on  that  oc- 
casion, as  a  ground  of  consolation,  was  this.  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  imto  yon,  He  that  believetJi  on  me,  the 
works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also  ;  and  greater  works 
than  these  shall  he  do  ;  because  I  go  tinto  the  Father. 
(John  xiv.  12.) 

The  work  accomplished  by  Jesus  during  his  earthly 
ministry  when  viewed  in  itself  was  almost  insignifi- 
cant. A  few  sick  people  healed  of  their  infirmities ; 
a  few  sermons  preached  on  great  spiritual  truths  ;  a 
few  disciples  recruited  from  among  the  laboring  class 
in  an  humble  province  of  a  remote  corner  of  the  earth  ; 
a  few  sinners  saved  from  sin.     That  was  all. 

123 


124      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

But  this  work,  as  a  preparation  for  what  should 
follow,  was  of  immeasurable  importance.  The  evi- 
dential value  of  the  miracle  was  destined  to  be  felt 
through  all  subsequent  ages.  The  doctrines  and  pre- 
cepts set  forth  in  Christ's  preaching  were  to  furnish 
the  basis  of  Christianity.  The  Twelve,  ''a  feeble 
folk  like  the  conies,"  were  the  nucleus  of  a  church 
now  numbering  some  hundreds  of  millions  of  souls. 
The  tragedy  on  Golgotha,  apparently  an  ignominious 
ending  of  a  troubled  life,  was  the  laying  of  the  blood- 
cemented  foundations  of  a  world  wide  kingdom. 

And  the  work  goes  on.  The  cross  did  not  conclude 
it.  In  his  last  interview  with  his  disciples  Jesus  said, 
"All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven 
and  on  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of 
all  the  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  :  teach- 
ing them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  commanded 
you ;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world."  And  again  he  said,  ''  Ye  shall  receive 
power,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you  :  and 
ye  shall  be  my  witnesses  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all 
Judea,  and  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part 
of  the  earth."  (Acts  i.  8.)  This  means  that  he, 
seated  at  the  right  hand  of  power,  is  working  through 
his  people  for  the  conquest  of  the  world. 

It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  said,  ''  The 
works  that  I  do  shall  ye  do  also,  and  greater  works 
than  these  shall  ye  do,"   since  he  himself  is  really  do- 


Our   Greater   Works        125 

ing  the  works  which  we,  merely  as  his  agents,  seem 
to  do.  His  apostles  had  power  to  work  miracles  like 
his.  In  their  preaching  they  did  but  repeat  his  words, 
yet  with  what  stupendous  results  !  In  his  whole  min- 
istry he  did  not  win  one  tenth  as  many  converts  as 
Peter  did  on  the  single  day  of  Pentecost.  And  there 
have  been  many  pentecostal  ingatherings  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Church.  Think  of  Paul's  missionary  har- 
vests ;  and  of  the  mighty  things  accomplished  by  mis- 
sionaries and  evangelists  in  every  age. 

Let  it  be  remembered,  however,  that  all  these 
"greater  works  "  are  the  works  of  Christ  himself  work- 
ing through  men.  Who  is  Paul  or  Apollos  or  Cephas  ? 
Who  is  Wesley  or  Whitefield  or  Moody  }  Christ  is 
all.  He  sowed  the  seed  of  which  we  reap  the  harvests. 
He  laid  the  foundations  of  the  temple  in  the  building 
of  which  he  is  using  the  services  of  all  who  love  and 
follow  him.  With  his  bleeding  hand  he  raised  the 
banner  which  leads  us  to  world-victories.  And  his 
promise  is  that  he  will  be  personally  with  us  even  to 
the  end  of  the  present  order  of  things.  Our  power 
is  his  power  resting  upon  us  and  working  through  us. 

All  this  because,  as  he  said,  "  I  go  unto  my  Father." 
P^or  when  he  left  the  world  it  was  farewell  to  all  the 
limitations  of  his  earthly  hfe.  He  went  to  reassume 
"  the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the 
world  was." 

And  in  going  he  left  a  great  bequest  to  us  :  "  Even 
the  Spirit  of  Truth  :  whom  the  world  cannot  receive ; 


126      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

for  it  beholdeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him  ;  ye 
know  him  ;  for  he  abideth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in 
you."  (John  xiv.  17.)  His  Spirit  is  the  executive 
of  the  present  dispensation.  Through  him  we  re- 
ceive the  enduement  of  power  for  service.  By  him 
we  accomplish  these  greater  works.  Wherefore  it  is 
of  immense  importance  that  we  should,  as  Moody  used 
to  say,  "  honor  the  Holy  Ghost."  His  influence  is 
the  unspeakable  gift  of  God. 

Our  faith  is  the  measure  of  our  power.  "  He  that 
believeth  on  me  " — this  is  the  condition  of  our  accom- 
plishing the  greater  works.  Faith  removes  moun- 
tains by  bringing  us  into  vital  touch  with  omnipotence. 
There  is  no  limit.  "  Of  myself  I  can  do  nothing  ;  but, 
"  I   can  do  all  things  in  him  that  strengtheneth  me." 

It  was,  doubtless,  with  this  in  mind  that  Paul  of- 
fered his  great  prayer  for  the  Christians  at  Ephesus, 
"  For  this  cause  I  bow  my  knees  unto  the  Father, 
from  whom  every  family  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is 
named,  that  he  would  grant  you,  according  to  the 
riches  of  his  glory,  that  ye  may  be  strengthened  with 
power  through  his  Spirit  in  the  inward  man  ;  that 
Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  through  faith  ;  to 
the  end  that  ye,  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love, 
may  be  able  to  apprehend  with  all  the  saints,  what  is 
the  breadth  and  length  and  height  and  depth,  and 
to  know  the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knowledge, 
that  ye  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God." 
(Ephesians  iii.  14-19.) 


XX. 
FAITH. 

Verily  I  say  unto  to  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great  faith,  no,  not 
in  Israel.  Matt.  viii.  lo. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  Remove  hence  to  yonder  place;  and 
it  shall  remove;  and  nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you. 

Matt.  xvii.  20. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you.  If  ye  have  faith,  and  doubt  not,  ye  shall  not 
only  do  -what  is  done  to  the  fig-tree,  but  even  if  ye  shall  say  unto 
this  mountain,  Be  thou  taken  up  and  cast  into  the  sea,  it  shall  be 
done.  Matt.  xxi.  21. 

In  one  of  President  Woolsey's  sermons  to  the  stu- 
dents at  Yale,  he  says,  "  The  power  of  what  is  called 
Faith,  regarded  simply  as  a  motive  to  action,  without 
respect  to  the  reality  of  its  object,  is  now  admitted  on 
all  hands." 

But  what  is  Faith  ?  The  "  assurance  of  things 
hoped  for,  a  conviction  of  things  not  seen."  Even 
your  sceptic  philospher  is  frank  to  avow  that  a  man 
whose  creed  is  bounded  by  the  possibilities  of  touch 
and  eyesight  is  at  best  an  untrustworthy,  mayhap,  a 
baneful  man.  The  great  inspirations  are  breathed 
into   us   by  forces   immaterial.     The   believer   is   the 

127 


12  8      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

only  productive  toiler.  Though  his  faith  be  affixed  to 
nothing  better  than  specters  and  chimeras  yet  is  he 
uplifted  and  energized  by  it.  "  If  this  be  a  delusion," 
said  one  of  the  saints,  "  do  not  undeceiv^e  me  !  Among 
these  shadows  let  me  live  and  die."  If  we  must  choose 
between  the  malarial  swamps  of  materialism  and  the 
high  altitudes  where  Brockens  are  beckoning  from 
every  cloud,  let  us,  by  all  means,  abide  on  the  moun- 
tain-tops. Better  be  a  transcendental  dreamer  than  a 
man  with  a  muck-rake.  Better  have  Napoleon's  faith 
in  the  Star  of  Destiny  than  no  faith  at  all. 

But  suppose  our  faith  takes  hold  on  eternal  actuali- 
ties ?  Ah,  then,  what  genial  lamps  illuminate  the 
soul !  What  kindly  eyes,  clear  as  stars  of  the  blue 
heaven,  look  into  ours  !     What  arms  uphold  us  ! 

Here  is  the  line  dividing  between  superstition  and 
religion.  One  is  a  blinking  and  groping  after  phos- 
phorescent lights  ;  the  other  is  a  climbing  toward  the 
Ht  windows  of  the  Father's  house  ;  one  is  ghost-worship, 
the  other  is  God-worship,  that  is,  of  the  true  and  liv- 
ing One.  It  is  well  to  say,  "  I  believe  ;  "  but  better 
still  to  say,  "  I  know  him  whom  I  have  believed  and  I 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  guard  that  which  I 
have  committed  unto  him."  An  anchor  the  soul 
must  have,  though  it  never  touch  the  ocean's  bed,  but 
Oh,  if  it  be  sure  and  steadfast,  taking  hold  of  that 
which  is  within  the  veil !  This  is  religion.  The  hold> 
ing  fast  of  the  soul ;  its  return  from  dreams  and  visions 
to  things  matter-of-fact. 


Faith  129 


And  here  is  where  the  earnest  Hfe  begins.  There  is 
no  Hving  until  faith  has  reached  out  and  taken  hold 
of  the  unseen.  Though  a  man  get  all  the  wisdom  of 
the  schools,  though  his  barns  be  full,  though  his  honors 
be  thick  upon  him,  yet,  failing  in  this,  like  the  young 
ruler,  he  lacks  the  one  thing  needful. 

Faith  is  living  among  the  realities.  It  is  putting 
things  at  their  right  relative  value.  It  is  placing  the 
emphasis  on  facts  as  against  fancies,  on  realities  as 
against  phantasms.  It  is  making  room  for  God  and 
giving  him  his  proper  place  in  the  economy  of  life. 
A  man  of  faith  is  larger  than  his  shop  or  his  office ; 
he  is  larger  than  his  environment ;  he  refuses  to  live 
within  a  world  circumscribed  by  the  physical  senses. 
He  sees  things  that  lie  beyond  the  range  of  fleshly 
eyes.  He  touches  things  that  cannot  be  reached  by 
the  finger  tips.  To  him  things  visible  are  but  a  pass- 
ing show  :  **  the  things  which  are  seen  are  temporal, 
but  the  things  which  are  not  seen  are  eternal."  Gold, 
pleasure,  laurel  wreaths  are  shadows ;  he  counts  them 
as  naught :  reaUties  are  all. 

Here  is  the  secret  of  the  triumphant  life.  The  im- 
mortals endure  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible.  They 
shake  off  the  dust  of  a  world  that  dies,  and  journey  on 
to  a  better  country,  even  an  heavenly.  They  believe ! 
Take  faith  out  of  the  lives  of  the  ancient  worthies  in 
the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews  and  what  have  you  } 
They  are  no  better  than  Nimrod  and  Belshazzar  and 
Darius  and  Meneptah ;  a  procession  of  names  and 
I 


130      The   Verilies   of    Jesus 

grotesque  figures  on  marble  slabs  and  monuments. 
They  lived,  they  died  !  The  roll-call  is  hollow  as  the 
beating  of  a  drum.  Wherein  does  Moses  differ  from 
Xerxes  ?  Both  alike  lashed  the  sea ;  but  Moses  lashed 
it  in  the  name  of  God.  Wherein  does  Rahab  differ 
from  Aspasia  ?  Both  were  harlots.  Aspasia  reasoned 
with  philosophers  ;  but  Rahab  trusted  in  the  divine 
convenant  in  token  whereof  she  let  down  from  her 
window  the  scarlet  thread.  Wherein  was  Samson 
better  than  Hercules  .?  Did  not  both  rend  the  jaws 
of  lions  ?  Aye ;  but  the  long,  braided  locks  of  Sam- 
son were  the  symbol  of  his  faith ;  shear  those  locks, 
and  he  is  weak  as  other  men. 

This  is  the  differentiating  line  which  runs  through 
all  human  life,  to  separate  the  dying  from  the  immor- 
tal. If  men,  who  are  raised  to  places  of  authority, 
rule  for  God,  they  rule  for  ever  ;  if  not,  they  are  laid 
away  in  the  cemeteries  of  the  pigmies.  If  men  of 
wealth  make  to  themselves  friends  of  the  mammon  of 
unrighteousness  by  using  it  as  a  solemn  trust  for  the 
welfare  of  their  fellow  men,  then  are  they  by  faith 
rich  toward  God  ;  if  not,  they  die  like  one  of  whom  a 
recent  editorial  in  one  of  our  newspapers  said,  "  The 
frog's  legs  that  were  served  upon  his  table  have  as  just 
a  title  to  immortality  as  he." 

How  shall  we  explain  this  power  of  faith  ?  Where- 
fore should  a  man  be  chosen  here  and  there  from  the 
common  herd  and  immortalized  .?  The  reason  is  clear. 
To  begin  with,  it  brings  a  man  into  touch  with  God, 


Faith  131 


There  is  no  other  way  of  approach  to  God  ;  as  it  is 
written,  "  He  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe  that 
he  is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  seek  after 
him."  To  bring  one's  soul  into  line  with  the  divine  will 
is  to  find  one's  self,  and  to  assume  an  attitude  of  power. 
I  am  a  cipher ;  but  when  I  move  up  against  the  great 
Unit,  I  am  ten,  a  hundred,  a  thousand,  if  you  will ;  and 
herein  I  fulfil  the  prediction,  "  One  shall  put  ten  thou- 
sand to  flight." 

I  recently  saw  a  tug  in  the  New  York  Bay  drawing 
six  barges  of  iron  ;  the  rope  by  which  it  was  fastened 
to  them  was  powerless  in  itself,  yet  they  could  not 
move  without  it.  So  faith  couples  the  soul  with  God  ; 
and,  binding  us  to  omnipotence,  it  makes  us  laborers 
together  with  God. 

Then  follows  self-respect.  A  man  perceives  God 
now,  not  as  an  abstraction  but  as  Immanuel,  "  God 
with  us."  He  looks  into  the  face  of  Jesus,  reads  there 
the  story  of  pardoning  grace,  and  accepts  it.  The 
sin  that  shamed  him  is  blotted  out.  He  reads  the  blood- 
atonement  as  Abel,  standing  beside  his  primeval  altar, 
read  it.  He  enters  into  "the  reproach  of  Christ  "  as 
Moses  entered  into  it.  He  sees  the  day  of  Messiah 
as  Abraham  "  saw  it  and  was  glad."  An  infinite  vista 
of  possibilities  is  opened  before  him.  He  moves  up 
to  the  side  of  the  "  first-born  among  many  brethren," 
who  said,  "As  the  Father  sent  me  so  send  I  you." 
Life  has  new  meanings  for  him.  He  lives  no  longer  as 
one  of  the  ephemera.     Knowing  that  he  dies  not  "  as 


132      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

the  beast  dieth,"  he  measures  his  Hfe  by  corresponding 
responsibiUty. 

Thus  he  necessarily  puts  a  new  emphasis  on  truth. 
For  truth  is  the  basis  of  conduct;  since  "as  a  man 
thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he."  He  longs  to  solve 
the  mighty  problems  that  reach  out  into  the  eternal 
aeons.  "  There  are  so  many  voices  and  none  of  them 
is  without  signification  "  for  him.  He  turns  to  his 
Bible,  and  searches  it  as  for  hid  treasure.  He  sits  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus  and  learns  of  him.  He  hears  him 
teaching,  "  not  as  the  Scribes  but  as  one  having  author- 
ity ;  "and  he  takes  him  at  his  word.  Doubt  is  dispelled, 
— the  doubt  "  that  makes  us  lose  the  good  we  oft  might 
win  by  fearing  to  attempt."  With  vanishing  doubt 
fear  takes  its  flight.  Faith  feeds  on  faith.  Thus  he 
advances  "  from  strength  to  strength  "  in  the  symmet- 
rical building  of  character.  He  moves  away  from  such 
timorous  phrases  as  "I  guess"  or  "I  wonder"  to 
"  I  know  "  and  "  I  beheve." 

And  in  this  sacred  quest  of  truth,  duty  becomes  su- 
preme. 

"  So  nigh  is  grandeur  to  our  dust, 
So  near  is  God  to  man, 
When  Duty  whispers  low,  Thou  must, 
The  youth  replies,  I  can  ! " 

He  hears  his  Master  saying,  "  He  that  believeth  on 
me,  the  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also,  and  greater 
works  than  these  shall  he  do.  As  he  looks  toward 
eternity,  the  fear  of  death  vanishes ;  for  death  is  but 


Faith  133 

"the  covered  bridge,  leading  from  light  to  light, 
through  a  brief  darkness."  And,  more  and  more, 
the  seriousness  of  life  grows  upon  this  man  ;  since 
life  is  the  season  given  for  preparation  for  eternity. 
To  live  for  eternity  is,  to  him,  another  way  of  saying, 
"  Live  to-day  !  " 

So  faith,  in  brief,  lifts  him  above  his  sordid  environ- 
ment. He  is  no  longer  the  creature  of  circumstance. 
He  is  "in  the  world  but  not  of  it."  He  can  endure 
sorrow,  because  it  worketh  for  him  a  far  more  exceed- 
ing and  eternal  weight  of  glory.  He  prepares  himself 
for  trial  by  drinking  water  out  of  the  King's  well. 
He  confronts  difficulties  as  did  the  priests,  who  walked 
around  Jericho  blowing  rams'  horns  :  and  difficulties, 
like  the  walls  of  Jericho,  fall  down  flat  before  him. 
His  conflict  with  temptation  is  like  the  historic  battle 
which  was  fought  on  Lookout  Mountain  with  the  clear 
of  heaven  above  and  the  storm  clouds  far  beneath. 
The  world  is  so  little  now  !  Heaven  so  fair,  eternity 
so  vast  !  Duty  is  so  important,  character  so  inesti- 
mable !  God  has  been  taken  into  the  reckoning  ;  and 
God,  and  the  verities  which  center  in  him,  are  all  in  all. 

This  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even 
your  faith.  Here  is  the  secret  of  courage,  of  op- 
timism and  of  final  triumph.  If  God  be  for  us,  who 
can  be  against  us  ? 

It  was  meet  and  proper  therefore,  that  Jesus  should 
put  the  emphasis  of  his  Verily  on  the  importance  of 
Faith.     At  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration 


134      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

the  disciples  were  put  to  shame  because  they  were 
unable  to  heal  a  demoniac  boy.  The  Lord  came 
down  into  their  midst,  his  face  shining,  and  looking 
upon  his  disciples  he  said,  "  O  faithless  and  perverse 
generation,  how  long  shall  I  bear  with  you  ?  "  Then 
he  restored  the  lad  ;  and  afterwards  when  the  disci- 
ples asked  him,  "  Why  could  not  we  cast  it  out  ?  " 
he  answered,  "  Because  of  your  little  faith."  And  as 
they  continued  their  journey,  he  said  "  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  if  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  Remove  hence  to 
yonder  place  ;  and  it  shall  remove!'  A  grain  of  mus- 
tard seed  was  the  symbol  of  littleness,  but  the  mus- 
tard seed  had  in  it  the  power  of  life.  The  lifting  of  a 
mountain  was  the  symbol  of  impossibility,  but  all 
things  are  possible  to  him  who  believes.  This  is  not 
rhetoric  ;  not  hyperbole  ;  it  is  truth.  If  our  faith  were 
perfect,  it  would  always  be  buttressed  by  the  omnipo- 
tence of  God. 

A  little  living  faith  has  in  it  the  potency  of  vast 
achievement ;  but  thrice  blessed  is  the  possessor  of 
great  faith.  Such  was  the  centurion  of  Capernaum. 
(Matt.  viii.  lo.)  On  hearing  that  Jesus  was  coming  to 
town  he  went  to  meet  him  ;  and  this  colloquy  ensued  : 

The  Centurion :  "  Lord,  my  servant  lieth  in  *the 
house  sick  of  the  palsy,  grievously  tormented."  (Not 
a  word  of  entreaty.  He  knew  about  Jesus  evidently, 
and  believed  in  him  so  far  as  to  take  his  power  and 
goodness  for  granted.) 


Faith 


135 


Jes7is :  "I  will  come  and  heal  him."  (No  hesita- 
tion.     He  instantly  honors  the  faith  of  this  man.) 

The  Centurion :  "  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou 
shouldst  come  under  my  roof ;  but  only  say  the  word, 
and  my  servant  shall  be  healed."  (Faith  in  "absent 
treatment."  He  believed  in  the  omnipresence  of  Jesus 
as  well  as  in  his  omnipotence.  But  let  him  continue  :) 
"  For  I  also  am  a  man  under  authority,  having  under 
myself  soldiers  :  and  I  say  to  this  one,  Go,  and  he 
goeth  ;  and  to  another.  Come,  and  he  cometh  ;  and 
to  my  servant,  Do  this,  and  he  doeth  it."  (Showing 
that  his  faith  was  rational,  resting  on  the  argument 
known  as  a  fortiori,  that  is,  from  the  less  to  the 
greater.) 

Jesus :  (to  his  disciples)  "  Verily y  I  have  not  found 
so  great  faith,  no,  7wt  in  Israel  f'  (Then  to  the  Cen- 
turion.) "Go  thy  way ;  as  thou  hast  believed,  so  be 
it  done  unto  thee." 

This  was  great  faith  for  many  reasons  :  (i)  It  was 
in  an  unexpected  quarter.  The  Gentiles  knew  little 
about  Jesus.  (2)  It  was  in  spite  of  other  adverse  cir- 
cumstances. The  man  was  a  soldier,  exposed  to  the 
irreligious  dangers  of  a  rough,  cruel  life.  (3)  It  was 
an  unselfish  faith,  not  in  his  own  behalf  but  in  that  of 
a  humble  slave.  (4)  It  was  a  reasonable  faith,  founded 
on  a  strong,  analogical  argument.  (5)  It  was  a  bold, 
expectant,  persistent  faith.  (6)  It  took  hold  on  Jesus  as 
the  mighty  Son  of  God.  (7)  It  was  fruitful  in  results  : 
"  And  his  servant  was  healed  in  the  self-same  hour." 


136      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

What  is  the  conchision  of  the  whole  matter  ?  "  Only 
believe  !  "  We  enter  the  kingdom  by  faith.  We  walk 
by  faith.  The  just  shall  live  by  faith.  All  things  are 
possible  to  him  that  believeth.  ''  He  came  unto  his 
own,  and  they  that  were  his  own  received  him  not. 
But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  the 
right  to  become  children  of  God,  even  to  them  that 
believe  on  his  name  ;  who  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor 
of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God." 


XXI. 

THE  PRAYER  OF  FAITH. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  of  the  Fa- 
ther, he  will  give  it  you  in  my  name.  John  xvi.  23. 

At  one  of  our  military  posts  on  the  frontier,  an  old 
Indian  was  often  found,  hungry  and  in  rags  and  tatters, 
begging  of  the  soldiers  a  little  to  keep  soul  and  body 
together.  And  they  were  used  to  his  approaches,  for 
he  had  been  coming  year  after  year  in  that  way.  At 
length  one  felt  moved  to  inquire  what  it  was  that  hung 
from  an  old  ribbon  about  the  Indian's  neck.  A  locket 
was  suspended  there  ;  and  when  he  opened  the  locket, 
there  fell  out  a  bit  of  parchment ;  that  parchment  was 
a  Revolutionary  pension  bearing  the  signature  of 
George  Washington,  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
American  Army,  which  entitled  him  to  a  comfortable 
competence  during  all  the  remainder  of  his  days.  And 
he  had  not  known  it ! 

Here  is  a  promise  for  Christian  people  :  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  If  ye  shall  ask  any  tiling  of  the 
Father,  he  will  give  it  you  in  my  name!' 

In  this  Verily  we  have  a  draft  on  the  bank  of  the 

137 


138      The   Verilies   of    Jesus 

Kingdom,  signed  by  the  King  himself,  with  the  amount 
left  blank  for  us  to  fill  in,  and  absolutely  no  limitations 
or  conditions  affixed  to  it.  Have  we  taken  advantage 
of  it  ?  If  we  had,  we  should  not  be  going  about  mourn- 
ing, "  Oh,  my  leanness  !  my  leanness  !  "  God  intends 
us  to  be  strong  and  enriched  by  his  grace,  with  enough 
of  everything  that  is  needful  in  order  to  the  satisfaction 
of  our  souls  to  the  uttermost.  "  Ye  shall  ask  what  ye 
will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you." 

All  prayer  is  answered  ;  all  prayer,  mind  you,  of- 
fered in  the  filial  spirit — for  nothing  else  is  prayer.  The 
true  prayer  is  that  which  goes  up  from  the  heart  of 
God's  child  to  the  throne  of  heavenly  grace;  which 
begins  with  "Our  Father,"  and  ends  with  "For  Jesus' 
sake."  That  gets  hold  upon  the  strength  of  God, 
and  nothing  is  impossible  to  it.  So  our  proposition 
is  the  boundless  prayer  of  faith  ;  absolutely,  literally, 
the  boundless  prayer  of  faith.  It  rests  on  three 
boundless  facts.      Here  they  are  : 

The  first  is  the  boundless  power  of  God.  He  has 
infinite  resources  at  his  command.  Why  should  not 
he  give  us  whatsoever  we  ask  ?  Do  you  feel  the  hand 
of  death  gripping  at  your  heart-strings  .?  Has  some 
mortal  malady  taken  hold  upon  you  ?  And  has  the 
physician  said,  "Nothing  can  be  done?"  I  beheve 
in  the  faith  cure  :  not  in  the  professional  charlatanry 
using  that  phrase  ;  but  in  the  power  of  the  prayer  of 
faith  to  do  precisely  what  it  did  when  Jesus  went  along 
the  highways  in  the  Holy  Land.     "  If  I  do  but  touch 


The   Prayer   of  Faitn       139 

his  garment,  I  shall  be  made  whole."  It  was  the 
touch  of  absolute  faith  that  got  hold  of  the  hem  of  his 
garment,  when  virtue  went  out  of  him. 

Are  you  in  distress  respecting  your  temporal  estate  ? 
Oh,  the  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills  are  his,  and  all  the 
gold  and  silver  that  lie  buried  in  the  deep  bosom  of 
the  everlasting  mountains, — they  are  all  his.  What 
an  easy  matter  it  is  for  God  to  relieve  us  ! 

Do  you  want  to  grow  in  grace  toward  the  full  stat- 
ure of  the  manhood  of  Christ  .?  He  encourages  that 
desire,  and  is  ready  at  the  first  impulse  of  your  heart 
to  grant  it. 

Are  you  praying  for  a  friend  ?  Pray  on  !  God 
loves  an  unselfish  prayer.  He  can  reach  out  any- 
where to  save  a  soul.  How  easy  it  is  for  him  !  If  one 
of  my  dear  ones  was  over  yonder  struggling  in  the  water 
for  life,  and  you  were  near  by,  and  could  reach  out  a 
hand,  and  I  should  call  to  you,  "  Oh,  save  him  ! " 
would  you  hesitate  ?  Why  shall  God  hesitate  when  I 
plead  for  the  deliverance  of  my  beloved  from  spiritual 
and  eternal  death  ? 

Do  you  say,  ''  True,  but  his  laws  stand  in  the  way  ?  " 
Can  a  watchmaker  adjust  the  machinery  of  a  chro- 
nometer and  turn  the  hands  backward,  if  he  will ;  and 
shall  not  God  be  able  to  manage  the  machinery  of  the 
universe  .?  The  laws  of  the  universe  are  God's  laws. 
The  universe  is  his  chronometer.  "  Sun,  stand  thou 
still  upon  Gibeon  !  and  thou,  Moon,  in  the  valley  of 
Aijalon  !  "     There  was  a  man  named  Joshua  praying 


140      The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

down  yonder,  and  God  moved  through  the  laws  of  the 
universe,  and  answered  him. 

And  then,  this  boundless  prayer  of  faith  rests  on  a 
second  fact,  the  boundless  goodness  of  God.  He  is 
able ;  is  he  willing  ?  His  name  is  love.  Oh,  the  length, 
and  the  breadth,  and  the  depth,  and  the  height  of  it ! 

"  There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea." 

His  promise,  also,  is  given.  "  Ask  and  it  shall  be 
given  you  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall 
be  opened  unto  you."  There  is  not  an  "if  "  there  ;  not 
a  "perhaps";  nor  "it  may  be  so."  "It  sJiall  be 
opened  unto  you."  And,  as  if  he  thought  some  of  us 
might  question  his  sincerity  in  making  so  vast  a  prom- 
ise, he  immediately  repeats  it  in  this  wise  :  "For  every- 
one that  asketh  receiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth  ; 
and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened." 

Besides,  we  have  an  argument  back  of  that  promise 
— a  great  argument,  a  fortiori,  from  the  less  to  the 
greater — so  that  we  may  not  misunderstand  or  ques- 
tion it.  "  And,  of  which  of  you  that  is  a  father  shall  his 
son  ask  a  loaf,  and  he  give  him  a  stone }  or  a  fish,  and 
he  for  a  fish  give  him  a  serpent  t  or  if  he  shall  ask  an 
6gg>  will  he  give  him  a  scorpion  }  If  ye  then,  being 
evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children, 
how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  good 
things  to  them  that  ask  him." 

And  then,  in  addition  to  all  that,  his  name,  his  prom- 
ise,  his  argument,  he  adds  the   tremendous    earnest 


The    Prayer   of  Faith       141 

which  we  have  in  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  says,  ^'  He 
that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  dehvered  him  up 
for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not  also  with  him  freely  give 
us  all  things  ?  "  He  bared  his  heart,  took  the  very 
heart  of  his  love  out  of  his  bosom,  and  cast  it  down 
upon  this  guilty  world  to  save  it.  Now,  "  shall  he  not 
with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ?  " 

It  is  nothing  for  him  to  give.  He  delights  to  give. 
It  is  the  joy  of  the  Divine  life  to  be  giving  all  the 
while.  The  most  delightsome  day  in  the  life  of  the 
Empress  Josephine,  as  she  wrote  in  one  of  her  letters, 
was  when  coming  through  the  Alps  with  her  husband, 
she  was  left  for  a  little  while  to  rest  in  an  humble  cot- 
tage. She  saw  that  the  eyes  of  the  lone  woman  there 
were  stained  wi;h  tears  and  asked  her  trouble.  The 
woman  said  it  was  poverty.  "  How  much,  "  asked  Jose- 
phine, "  would  relieve.it .?  "  "  Oh,"  she  said, "  there  is 
no  relieving  it  ;  it  would  require  four  hundred  francs  to 
save  our  Httle  vineyard  and  our  goats."  Josephine 
counted  out  of  her  purse  the  four  hundred  francs  into 
the  woman's  lap  ;  and  she  gathered  them  together,  and 
fell  down  and  kissed  her  feet.  And  that  was  the  hap- 
piest day  in  that  poor  empress's  Ufe.  *  But  all  God's 
life  is  filled  with  days  like  that.  His  name  is  Love 
He  delights  to  hear  our  prayer,  to  answer  it,  to  reheve 
and  to  enrich  us. 

This  boundless  prayer  of  faith  rests  upon  yet  a 
third  fact,  to  wit,  God's  boundless  wisdom.  He  knows 
precisely  what  I  need,  and  for  that  reason  I  am  em- 


142      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

boldened  to  ask.  I  would  not  dare  to  ask  if  he  were 
no  wiser  than  myself.  I  would  not  dare  to  kneel  down 
and  ask  for  a  temporal  gift  that  might  be  to  my  moral 
and  eternal  ruin.  I  cannot  see  beyond  my  finger 
tips,  but  I  can  trust  him.  My  Father  knows ;  knows 
what  is  best  for  me.  ''  But  if  he  knows  before  the 
asking  what  I  need,  why  should  I  make  a  prayer  at 
all .?  "  That  is  the  word  of  an  objector  who  has  never 
learned  God's  love  in  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  enough  for 
us  that  he  bids  us  keep  up  the  constant  current  of 
communication  between  our  hearts  and  himself. 
"  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you." 

Ask  largely.  The  prayer  of  faith  knows  no  limit. 
Be  not  afraid.  Your  large  request  honors  every  attri- 
bute of  God.  In  one  of  the  Psalms  it  is  written,  <'  Open 
thy  mouth  wide  and  I  will  fill  it."  I  wonder  if  the 
figure  came  from  David's  life  among  the  hills,  where, 
watching  from  the  cliffs,  he  saw  the  fledglings  in  the 
eagle's  nest,  saw  them,  as  the  mother  bird  came  back 
with  some  rich  morsel,  open  their  bills  and  wait  ?  Per- 
haps that  suggested  to  him  our  helplessness,  and 
God's  desire  to  honor  our  requests  .'^ "  Open  your 
mouth  wide  an*d  he  will  fill  it. 

Ask  confidently.  Be  assured  that  he  will  answer 
you.  For  you  are  a  child  of  God.  The  filial  spirit  is 
the  only  condition  that  is  affixed  to  prayer.  It  is  the 
only  prerequisite,  and  includes  all  other  conditions 
that  affect  our  approach  to  the  mercy  seat.  Pray  as 
the  son  or  daughter  of  the  loving  God,  that  is,  being 


The    Prayer   of  Faith        143 

mindful  of  his  superior  wisdom.  You  may  ask  a  stone  ; 
he  will  not  give  it,  but  he  will  give  you  bread.  Will 
you  then  say,  "  He  did  not  answer  me  ?  "  You  may 
in  lack  of  wisdom,  ask  a  scorpion  ;  he  will  n  )t  give 
you  that,  but  he  will  honor  your  prayer,  and  give 
you  a  fish.  Will  you  still  say,  "  He  did  not  answer 
me  ?  " 

The  Lord  Jesus  once,  in  the  weakest  hour  of  his 
earthly  life,  when  all  his  flesh  was  crying  out  against 
the  approaching  anguish  of  death,  made  the  prayer  of 
a  real  man.  (And  God  wants  us  to  pour  out  our 
whole  soul  before  him.  Better  make  a  wrong  prayer 
than  no  prayer  at  all.)  In  that  awful  hour  he  implored, 
"  My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from 
me."  But,  as  the  light  of  the  great  redemption  dawned 
upon  his  soul  and  he  saw  its  necessity,  he  went  on  to 
say,  ''  Oh,  my  Father,  Thy  will  be  done !  "  and  his 
prayer  was  answered. 

The  widow  of  a  minister,  long  ago,  came  to  Elijah's 
house  and  wept  out  her  sorrow,  saying  "  My  creditors 
have  come,  and  they  require  my  two  sons  as  a  pledge. 
They  are  all  that  I  have.  My  husband  is  dead.  You 
knew  him — you  knew  his  devotion  to  God  ;  and  I  am 
left  alone  with  these  two  lads."  And  the  prophet 
said,  ''  Go  back  to  thy  home.  What  hast  thou  ? " 
"  Nothing."  "  Nothing  .?  "  ''  No  ;  only  a  pot  of  oil  ; 
nothing  else  is  left."  "  Go  back  to  thy  house,  take 
thy  two  lads,  and  make  ready  the  pot  of  oil  ;  then  bor- 
row vessels.     Borrow  of  all  thy  neighbors  round  about. 


144      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

Borrow  vessels  not  a  few,  remember  ;  and  enter  into  a 
room  with  thy  lads,  shut  to  the  door,  and  pour  out 
oil !  "  And  she  did  so  ;  she  filled  the  first  vessel,  and 
the  supply  was  not  gone.  "  Bring  me  another  vessel," 
said  she  to  the  lads ;  and  they  brought  another  and 
she  filled  it ;  still  the  oil  was  not  stayed.  Another, 
and  another, — vessels  not  a  few  ;  all  that  they  had. 
♦'  Bring  me  yet  another  !  "  And  one  said,  ''  Mother, 
there  is  not  another  vessel  here;"  and  then  the  oil 
was  stayed. 

There  is  a  full  supply  in  God's  bounty.  What  limits 
it.?  Nothing  but  faith.  God's  wealth  is  infinite.  The 
oil  flows  on  forever,  but  the  vessels  give  out.  O  for 
more  faith  !  O  for  a  larger  faith — a  faith  that  shall 
honor  the  infinite  love  of  the  infinite  God — a  faith 
that  shall  rest  absolutely  on  his  unbounded  power, 
his  unbounded  goodness,  his  unbounded  wisdom,  and 
shall  believe  his  Word  :  ''  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my 
words  abide  in  you,  ask  whatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall 
be  done  unto  you  !  " 


XXII. 
BINDING  AND  LOOSING. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth 
shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and  what  things  soever  ye  shall  loose  on 
earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven.  Matt,  xviii.  i8. 

Here  is  a  great  truth — a  truth  which  has  given  rise 
to  endless  controversy.  In  the  opinion  of  some,  the 
words  of  Jesus  on  this  occasion  gave  to  Peter  and  his 
apostolic  associates  and  successors  a  roving  commission 
to  take  general  charge  of  divine  affairs.  The  destinies 
of  the  race  were  placed  in  their  hands.  It  is  for  them 
to  save  or  damn  at  will.  God,  having  devised  the  plan 
of  redemption  and  carried  it  out  at  ari  infinite  expend- 
iture on  Calvary,  was  then  pleased  to  turn  over  the 
whole  matter  to  human  hands. 

I  do  not  believe  it.  There  is  something  wrong  with 
such  an  exposition  of  Scripture. 

The  revolutionary  tribunal  of  1 794  in  France  had 
power  to  arrest  without  complaint,  try  without  jury, 
and  convict  without  witnesses  ;  in  consequence  of  such 
arbitrary  exercise  of  power,  no  less  than  fourteen  hun- 
dred victims  died  by  the  guillotine  between  the   loth 

J  145 


146      The   Verilies  of  Jesus 

of  June  and  the  27th  of  July  in  that  awful  year.  The 
life  of  the  nation  was  at  the  absolute  disposal  of  Robes- 
pierre and  his  four  confreres.  The  world  stands  aghast 
at  such  a  concentration  of  power  in  the  hands  of  mortal 
men.  But  this  is  nothing,  a  mere  bagatelle,  in  com- 
parison with  the  power  which  is  said  to  have  been  com- 
mitted to  the  hands  of  Peter  and  his  associates  ;  for 
this  had  to  do  not  merely  with  the  lives  and  estates  of 
men,  but  with  their  eternal  destiny  ! 

The  disciples  did  not  so  understand  their  commis- 
sion. Nor  did  Peter  himself^ so  understand  it.  The 
nearest  to  the  exercise  of  any  such  authority  was  in 
the  case  of  the  Simon  Magus,  who  had  played  the 
hypocrite  during  a  great  revival  at  Samaria,  and  had 
offered  money  in  return  for  the  cJiarismata  or  special 
gifts  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Then  Peter  said,  "  Thy 
money  perish  with  thee."  And  the  man  was  filled 
with  sudden  remorse.  Now  was  Peter's  chance. 
What  did  he  say  }  ''  Absolvo  te  !  "  Oh,  no  :  "  Repent 
and  pray  God,  if  perhaps  the  thought  of  thy  heart 
may  be  forgiven  thee." 

Contrast  that  with  the  thing  that  happened  at  Ca- 
nossa  when  Henry  II,  who  had  been  deposed  from  his 
royal  office,  came  over  the  Alps  to  entreat  for  papal 
absolution.  He  presented  himself  at  the  gate  of  Greg- 
ory VII,  and  made  his  humble  petition.  He  was 
ordered  to  remain  at  the  gate  and  abstain  from  food  ; 
he  was  further  ordered  to  strip  himself  of  the  royal 
purple  and  put  on  hair-cloth.     At  the  end  of  three 


Binding   and    Loosing       147 

weary  days  of  penance,  he  was  required  to  go  into  the 
presence  of  Pope  Gregory  and  kiss  his  feet.  Then 
this  Vicar  of  God  was  pleased  to  say,  "  Absolvo  te." 
Can  it  for  a  moment  be  believed  that  God  has  abdi- 
cated his  prerogative  in  this  way  ?  Shall  we  not  rather 
say  that  this  papal  assumption  is  a  mere  playing  with 
holy  things — a  grim  and  blasphemous  farce  ? 

The  claim  of  the  Romish  Church  to  the  power  of 
plenary  absolution,  with  its  accessories,  such  as  the 
confessional,  the  indulgence,  the  anathema,  extreme 
unction,  the  deliverance  of  souls  from  purgatory,  rests 
upon  a  false  interpretation  of  three  passages  of  Holy 
Writ. 

The  first  is  in  Matthew  xvi.  13  ;  where  the  keys 
were  committed  to  Peter,  that  he  might  throw  open  the 
doors  of  the  visible  church  to  the  Gentile  world.  This 
he  did  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when,  in  the  presence 
of  a  great  assemblage,  not  of  Jews  only,  but  of  Jews 
and  Greeks,  Parthians,  Medes,  Elamites,  dwellers  in 
Mesopotamia,  and  representatives  from  every  portion 
of  the  earth,  he  said,  "  Repent  ye  and  be  baptized 
every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  the 
remission  of  your  sins.  For  to  you  is  the  promise, 
and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  them  that  are  afar  off, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call  unto 
him." 

The  second  Scripture  referred  to  is  in  John  xx. 
19-23,  where  our  Lord  said  to  his  apostles,  "  Receive  ye 
the    Holy  Spirit :  whose   soever  sins  ye  forgive,  they 


148      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

are  forgiven  unto  them  ;  and  whose  soever  sins  ye  re- 
tain, they  are  retained."  Bear  in  mind  the  circum- 
stances under  which  these  words  were  sj^oken.  His  dis- 
ciples were  assembled  in  the  upper  chamber  with  closed 
doors  after  his  resurrection,  when  he  suddenly  ap- 
peared among  them,  saying,  "  Peace  be  unto  you." 
He  then  added,  "  As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even 
so  send  I  you."  What  for.?  The  Father  had  sent 
him  into  the  world  to  deliver  the  world  from  sin,  as 
Jesus  said  in  the  synagogue  at  Nazareth  when  he 
opened  the  Scriptures  and  read  :  "  The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  anointed  me  to  preach 
good  tidings  to  the  poor  :  he  hath  sent  me  to  proclaim 
release  to  the  captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the 
blmd,  to  set  at  Hberty  them  that  are  bruised,  and  to 
proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord  ; "  and  con- 
tinued, "  To-day  hath  this  Scripture  been  fulfilled  in 
your  ears."  As  he  was  sent  to  proclaim  deliverance 
by  the  power  of  the  great  sacrifice  on  Golgotha,  so 
are  these  sent  to  point  the  nations  toward  the  cross. 
Here  is  the  only  absolution  ;  absolution  by  faith  in 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  And  having 
thus  spoken  of  their  errand,  he  breathed  on  his  disci- 
ples and  said,  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spirit."  Here 
was  their  qualification  for  the  great  work  of  evangel- 
ization. And  then  came  the  words,  "  Whose  soever 
sins  ye  forgive,  they  shall  be  forgiven ;  and  whose 
soever  sins  ye  retain,  they  shall  be  retained."  The 
word   of  every  believer,  who  announces  absolution  in 


Binding   and    Loosing       149 

Jesus  Christ,  is  ratified  in  heaven.  The  humblest  of 
all  Christians  is  commissioned  to  go,  saying,  "  He 
that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  eternal  life  ;  but  he 
that  obeyeth  not  the  son,  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him,"  That  is,  his  sin 
shall  be  remitted  or  retained  just  as  he  accepts  or  re- 
jects the  proffer  of  mercy  in  the  crucified  son  of  God. 

The  third  Scripture  referred  to  is  in  Matt,  xviii. 
15-18.  "If  thy  brother  sin  against  thee,  go,  show 
him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alone  :  if  he  hear 
thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother.  But  if  he  hear 
thee  not,  take  with  thee  one  or  two  more,  that  at  the 
mouth  of  two  witnesses  or  three  every  word  may  be 
estabhshed.  And  if  he  refuse  to  hear  them,  tell  it 
unto  the  church  :  and  if  he  refuse  to  hear  the  church 
also,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  the  Gentile  and  the  pub- 
lican. Verily  I  say  unto  you,  What  tilings  soever  ye 
shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  boitnd  in  Jieaven :  and 
what  things  soever  ye  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  be 
loosed  in  Jieaven!' 

The  power  of  binding  and  loosing,  which  had  al- 
ready been  conferred  upon  Peter  in  connection  wdth 
the  powder  of  the  keys,  is  here  conferred  upon  the 
apostolic  circle.  And  inasmuch  as  this  commission 
w^as  granted  in  immediate  connection  with  the  ques- 
tion of  trespass  within  the  Church,  it  is  obvious  that  it 
refers  to  Church  government.  It  is  for  the  appointed 
officers  of  the  church  to  determine  what  rules  shall 
prevail.     This  is  the  power  of  binding  and  loosing  as 


150      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

it  was  understood  in  the  Jewish  Church  ;  as  when  it 
was  said,  "  Shammai  bindeth  and  Hillel  looseth  ; "  or 
as  Josephus  says,  with  reference  to  certain  ethical 
rules,  ''  The  Pharisees  have  power  to  bind  and  loose  at 
will."  The  commission  which  was  thus  granted  to 
the  apostolic  circle  involved  a  triple  function  : 

(i)  The  formulating  of  terms  of  admission  to  the 
Church.  It  is  clear  that  there  must  be  some  author- 
ity to  make  doctrinal  and  ethical  formularies  which  shall 
serve  as  conditions  of  church  membership.  And  upon 
whom  could  this,  power  be  so  appropriately  conferred 
as  upon  that  little  circle  which  was  the  nucleus  of 
the  visible  Church  and  constituted  its  formal  govern- 
ment. 

(2)  The  maintenance  of  order  within  the  Church. 
This  is  done  by  the  laying  down  of  certain  rules  of 
right  belief  and  conduct.  This  is  properly  called, 
"binding  and  loosing."  The  Council  at  Jerusalem 
was  called  to  settle  the  question  as  to  what  should  be  re- 
quired of  the  Gentile  Christians  with  respect  to  observ- 
ances which  the  Jewish  Christians  regarded  as  obliga- 
tory. Paul  and  Peter  having  discussed  that  question, 
James  declared  the  judgment  of  the  court,  which  was 
to  this  effect  :  that  on  the  one  hand  the  Gentile  con- 
verts should  abstain  from  pollutions  of  idols,  from  forni- 
cation, things  strangled  and  blood  ;  but  that  on  the  other 
hand,  the  yoke  of  Jewish  bondage  should  be  no  further 
placed  upon  them.  Here  was  a  case  in  which  the 
officers  of  the  Church  formally  exercised  the  power  of 


Binding   and    Loosing       151 

binding  and  loosing,  and  that  same  power  rests  in 
our  ecclesiastical  judicatories  at  this  day. 

(3)  The  power  to  administer  discipline.  This,  also, 
is  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  order.  A  certain 
man  in  the  Corinthian  Church  was  accused  of  a  name- 
less crime.  He  was  probably  of  good  social  position, 
and  his  offense  was  winked  at.  Paul,  however,  en- 
joined upon  the  Corinthian  Church  to  deal  summarily 
with  him  ;  he  exhorted  them  to  meet  "  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and  bind  this  evil  doer 
and  deliver  him  over  to  Satan  in  the  hope  of  his  rec- 
lamation or  for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh.  Here 
was  a  clear  case  of  judicial  binding.  It  was  what  we 
call  suspension  or  excommunication.  The  probability 
is  that  there  ought  to  be  a  more  frequent  exercise  of 
this  power  in  the  Church.  A  few  years  ago  a  man 
committed  suicide  in  St.  Paul's  in  London,  and  im- 
mediately it  was  announced  that  there  would  be  a 
formal  purging  and  reconsecration  of  the  Church. 
But  there  are  worse  stains  then  the  blood  of  a  suicide 
in  many  of  our  churches,  of  which  our  ecclesiastical 
dignities  should  take  knowledge  ;  for  the  Church  is 
as  a  city  set  upon  a  hill  whose  light  cannot  be  hid. 

It  is  obvious  that  neither  in  this  nor  in  the  former 
passages  is  there  any  reference  to  what  is  called  judi- 
cial or  plenary  absolution.  That  power  remains  in 
divine  hands  ;  for  who  can  forgive  sins  but  God  alone  ? 
The  wrong  view  of  this  commission  is  illustrated  in  the 
claims  of  the  monk   Tetzel  who   set   up  his  booth  at 


152      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

Juterbok  and  announced  that  he  was  prepared  to  grant 
indulgences.  The  most  heinous  of  crimes  could  be 
shielded  from  punishment  by  the  payment  of  a  stipu- 
lated number  of  florins.  He  proposed,  also,  to  deliver 
souls  from  purgatory  for  a  consideration.  Over  the 
chest,  prepared  for  the  receiving  of  the  coins,  was  writ- 
ten this  legend  : 

"Soon  as  the  coin  within  this  chest  doth  ring, 
The  soul  shall  straightway  into  heaven  spring." 

How  blasphemous  !  And  how  puerile  !  What  a  pre- 
posterous interpretation  of  the  Master's  words  !  And 
from  a  similar  perversion  have  arisen  all  the  historic 
crimes  of  the  confessional  and  the  anathema.  The 
whole  race  of  Huguenots  was  placed  under  the  ban  ; 
cursed  in  soul,  body  and  estate  ;  doomed  to  death  tem- 
poral and  eternal.  The  tolling  of  the  bells  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew's marked  the  climax  of  this  frightful  misin- 
terpretation of  the  teaching  of  Jesus. 


XXIII. 
MUTUAL  SERVICE. 

Blessed  are  those  servants,  whom  the  lord  when  he  cometh  shall 
find  watching :  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  he  shall  gird  himself,  and 
make  them  sit  down  to  meat,  and  shall  come  and  serve  them. 

Luke  xii.  27- 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  A  servant  is  not  greater  than  his 
Lord;  neither  one  that  is  sent  greater  than  he  that  sent  him. 

John  xiii.  i6. 

We  have  two  strikingly  contrasted  pictures  in  John 
xiii.  I- 1 7  and  Luke  xii.  31-40.  One  represents  a 
scene  in  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem,  where  Jesus, 
girt  with  a  towel  and  basin  in  hand,  is  washing  his  dis- 
ciples' feet.  The  other  represents  the  great  Supper 
in  the  Kingdom,  where  he,  no  longer  clad  in  peasant's 
garb  but  arrayed  in  kingly  apparel,  seats  his  redeemed 
guests  at  table  and  "  cometh  forth  and  serveth  them." 
The  fact  emphasized  is  the  Dignity  of  Service. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  think  of  Christ's  extreme  kindness 
to  sinners  as  an  evidence  of  demeaning  condescension  ; 
on  the  contrary  it  was  but  an  illustration  of  that  true 
greatness  which  finds  its  highest  expression  in  the  say-r 
ing,  "  God  is  love." 

^S3 


154      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

To  regard  service  as  humiliating  is  a  distinctly 
human  conception.  God  is  the  Great  Servant  and  he 
is,  by  that  very  token,  King  over  all  and  blessed  for- 
ever. In  this  connection  we  recall  Milton's  definition 
of  humility,  "  That  lofty  lowliness  of  mind  which  is 
exalted  by  its  own  humihation." 

It  is  recorded  that  on  their  way  to  the  upper  room 
the  discijDles  had  disputed  as  to  which  should  be 
greatest  among  them.  They  were  anticipating  the 
establishment  of  an  earthly  kingdom  and  their  hearts 
were  filled  with  selfish  and  envious  thoughts  of  tem- 
poral emolument.  This  was  what  led  to  the  foot-wash- 
ing ;  and  what  a  mighty,  persuasive,  convincing  demon- 
stration of  the  greatness  of  service  it  was  !  Then  came 
the  application,  with  the  double  emphasis.  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  yo?i,  A  servant  is  not  greater  than 
his  Lord,  neither  one  that  is  sent  greater  thaii  lie  that  sent 
Jiimr  (John  xiii.  i6.)  Bow  your  heads,  all  followers 
of  Christ.  Lower  !  Lower  !  He  bowed  to  service  and 
so  must  ye,  if  ye  would  sit  together  with  him  on  his 
throne ;  for  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted 
and  he  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased. 

The  other  picture,  the  serving  of  Christ  at  the 
heavenly  table,  was  suggested  by  the  impertinent  re- 
quest of  a  young  man  :  "  Teacher,  bid  my  brother  di- 
vide the  inheritance  with  me."  Of  course  the  Lord 
refused.  Why  should  he  be  "  a  judge  or  a  divider  " 
in  such  matters  }  This  selfishness  is  ever  breaking  in 
upon  the  larger  considerations  of  life.     Give,  give,  give ! 


Mutual   Service  155 

"Bid  my  brother  divide!"  Divide  what?  A  Httle 
yellow  dust  that  is  bound  to  sift  through  stiff  fingers 
at  last.  No,  no,  said  Jesus,  this  is  not  the  true  view 
of  living.  Living  is  not  claiming  one's  own  but  divid- 
ing with  others  ;  not  standing  on  rights  but  glorying 
in  privileges  ;  not  mastery  but  ministry  ;  not  getting 
but  giving ;  not  striving  but  serving.  Let  the  mind 
that  was  and  is  forever  in  Christ  Jesus  be  also  in  us. 
"  Verily  I  say  unto,  that  Jie  sJiall gird  himself,  and  make 
his  servants  sit  dozvn  to  meat^  and  zvill  come  and  serve 
tJiem!'     (Luke  xii.  37.) 

It  would  appear  from  these  two  pictures  of  Jesus 
that  he  is  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day,  yea  and  for 
ever.  The  human  nature  which  he  assumed  in  the 
incarnation  was  not  laid  aside  when  he  ascended  into 
heaven.  John  saw  him  walking  in  the  midst  of  the 
golden  candlesticks  and  was  so  overawed  that  he 
"fell  at  his  feet  as  one  dead;"  but  Jesus  reassured 
him,  saying,  "  I  am  the  Living  one  ;  and  I  was  dead, 
and  behold,  I  am  alive  for  evermore"  ;  that  is,  he  was 
the  same  Christ  on  whose  bosom  John  had  leaned  in 
the  upper  room.  And  this  thought  is  emphasized  in 
the  two  pictures  before  us.  The  Christ  who  showed 
by  the  foot-washing  that  he  had  come  into  the  world 
"  not  to  be  ministered  unto  but  to  minister,"  still  serves 
his  disciples  as  they  sit  at  meat  in  his  heavenly  king- 
dom. Thus  his  humiliation,  so-called,  is  the  perpetual 
token  of  his  glory. 

If  so,  it  follows  that  our  Christlikeness  is  measured 


156      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

by  our  growth  in  this  spirit  of  ministry.  He  has  set 
us  an  example,  that  we  should  do  unto  one  another  as 
he  has  done  unto  us,  and  as  he  is  for  ever  doing  unto 
them  that  love  him. 

This  is  not  an  easy  lesson  to  learn.  The  natural 
heart  is  selfish.  It  is  loath  to  minister,  insisting  rather 
on  being  ministered  unto.  We  who  profess  to  follow 
Christ  are  often  more  concerned  about  our  own  sal- 
vation than  in  saving  others.     We  love  to  sing, 

"  When  I  can  read  my  title  clear 
To  mansions  in  the  skies, 
I'll  bid  farewell  to  every  fear 
And  wipe  my  weeping  eyes." 

Yet  the  getting  of  a  <nitle  clear"  is  only  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  Hfe.  All  the  rest  is  service  ;  that 
is,  the  wiping  of  other  weeping  eyes. 

We  are  much  troubled  about  "  the  deepening  of  the 
spiritual  life  ;  "  forgetting  that  the  spiritual  life  is  not 
deepened  by  a  selfish  dead-lift,  so  much  as  by  follow- 
ing Christ  in  doing  good,  as  we  have  opportunity,  unto 
all  men. 

The  joy  of  heaven  is  service.  We  are  not  to  think 
of  the  angels  as  employing  themselves  chiefly  in  play- 
ing harps  and  singing  hymns.  "  Are  they  not  all  min- 
istering spirits,  sent  forth  to  do  service  for  the  sake  of 
them  that  shall  inherit  salvation  ?  "  Is  there  not  joy 
in  heaven  among  the  angels  of  God  over  every  sinner 
returning  from  the  error  of  his  ways  ? 


Mutual   Service  157 

"Jehovah's  charioteers  surround; 
The  ministerial  choir 
Encamp  where'er  his  heirs  are  found 
And  form  our  wall  of  fire  : 
Ten  thousand  offices  unseen 
For  us  they  gladly  do, 
Deliver  in  the  lion's  den 
And  safe  escort  us  through," 

If,  then,  we  are  to  enter  into  the  goodly  fellowship 
of  angels  and  saints  triumphant,  it  behooves  us  to  be 
faithful  in  our  apprenticeship  in  service  here  and  now. 
Our  Lord  himself,  in  taking  this  attitude  of  service, 
strikes  the  keynote  of  the  Christian  life.  If,  girt  with 
omnipotence  and  canopied  in  glory,  he  deigns  to  serve 
his  people,  we  shall  best  grow  into  his  likeness  not  by 
mere  sentimentalizing  about  sanctification  but  by  doing 
for  each  other  as  he  is  continually  doing  for  us. 


XXIV. 

HIS  KIND  FORESIGHT. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  One  of  you  shall  betray  me,  even  he  that 
eateth  with  me.  Mark  xiv.  i8. 

Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  that  thou  to-day,  even  this  night,  before  the 
cock  crow  twice,  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  Mark  xiv.  30. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  When  thou  wast  young,  thou  gird- 
edst  thyself,  and  walkedst  whither  thou  wouldest  ;  but  when  thou 
shalt  be  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another  shall 
gird  thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  w^ouldest  not.     John  xxi.  18. 

The  all-embracing  love  of  Jesus  is  manifest  in  his 
warnings,  invitations  and  prayers  in  behalf  of  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  men.  What  a  wonderful  thing  it 
was  that,  amid  the  exquisite  tortures  of  the  cross,  he 
should  plead  for  his  murderers,  "  Father,  forgive  them, 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do  !  "  Yet  this  was  of 
a  piece  with  his  entire  life  and  character. 

On  the  night  before  his  crucifixion  he  showed  his 
profound  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Judas.  He  knew 
what  was  in  the  traitor's  heart  and,  moved,  with  a  desire 
to  forewarn  and  admonish  him,  he  said  in  his  hearing 
before  the  assembled  company,  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
One  of  yon  sJiall  betray  me,  even  he  that  eateth  zvith  me." 

158 


His    Kind    Foresight        159 

(Mark  xiv.  1 8.)  The  disciples  were  profoundly  moved  by 
his  words  ;  and  they  all,  Judas  among  them,  began  to 
inquire,  "  Is  it  I  ?  "  How  deep  and  irremediable  must 
have  been  the  disloyalty  of  this  man  !  Warned  on 
the  brink  of  the  abyss,  he  made  no  pause.  Despite 
the  faithful  admonition  of  One  who  knew  his  inmost 
heart  and  foresaw  his  frightful  doom,  he  plunged  head- 
long on  the  bosses  of  the  shield  of  God. 

The  taste  of  the  sacramental  wine  and  bread  was 
on  his  lips,  when  he  went  out  of  the  upper  chamber 
and  betook  himself  to  the  Hall  of  Caiaphas.  There 
he  bargained  with  the  rulers  to  betray  his  Lord  for 
thirty  pieces  of  silver.  They  were  eager  to  receive 
him.  This  was  the  very  chance  for  which  they  had 
waited  long. 

"  When,"  they  asked  him,  "  wilt  thou  deliver  him 
into  our  hands  .'*  " 

"  This  very  night." 

"  And  where  ?  " 

"  He  is  on  his  way,  at  this  moment,  to  the  garden 
of  the  oil-press,  on  the  slope  of  Olivet.  I  know  the 
place  well.  He  is  accustomed  to  resort  thither  for 
meditation  and  prayer.     I  will  lead  you." 

They  set  forth,  guards,  rabbis,  and  a  mob  with 
swords  and  staves  and  lanterns.  The  traitor  was  in 
front.  He  led  them  at  a  quick  pace  down  the  path  to 
the  Kidron  and  up  along  the  slope  of  the  opposite  hill. 
They  entered  the  gate  of  the  garden.  There  Judas 
turned    and    said,    "Whomsoever    I    shall  kiss,   that 


i6o      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

is  he;  take  him."  So  they  passed  on  until  they 
came  to  the  grove  of  the  oil-press.  In  the  dim  light 
of  the  moon  they  saw  him  yonder,  and  Judas,  rushing 
headlong  to  his  ruin,  drew  near  and  threw  his  arms 
about  him.  "  Hail,  Master !  "  he  cried,  and  kissed  him. 
The  word  here  used  is  that  of  a  lover  and  a  maid — he 
kissed  him  eagerly,  again  and  again.  In  that  kiss,  his 
crime  reached  its  consummation.  It  marked  a  sin 
against  light,  a  sin  against  warning.  It  was  treachery, 
it  was  lese  majestic  it  was  guilt  of  the  deepest,  dark- 
est dye. 

We  have  reason  to  believe  that  if  Judas  Iscariot,  at 
any  moment  before  his  death,  had  sought  God's  mercy 
he  would  have  found  it.  His  sin  was  not  beyond  par- 
don. God  is  a  great  Forgiver,  willing  to  forgive  unto 
the  uttermost  all  who  come  unto  him.  It  is  never  too 
late  to  mend.  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  all  should 
turn  and  live.     Turn  ye  !  turn  ye  !  for  why  will  ye  die } 

On  that  same  night,  in  the  upper  room,  our  Lord 
said  to  Peter,  ''  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  that  thou  to-day^ 
even  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow  tivice,  sJialt  deny 
me  tJirice!'  (Mark  xiv.  30.)  As  in  the  case  of  Judas, 
he  took  occasion  of  his  foreknowledge  to  admonish  this 
man  of  his  approaching  danger.  The  warning  was  in 
vain.  True,  Peter  was  not,  like  Judas,  cherishing  a 
deliberate  purpose  of  evil  ;  but,  being  off  his  guard,  the 
very  danger  of  which  he  had  been  so  kindly  and  sol- 
emnly forewarned  overtook  him. 


His    Kind    Foresight        i6i 

It  is  a  sad  story,  and  we  search  in  vain  for  extenuat- 
ing circumstances.  Bring  it  before  any  jury  of  tried 
men  and  true,  and  their  verdict  would  be  "  Guilty," 
without  a  recommendation  to  mercy.  The  case  is  ag- 
gravated by  the  fact  that  Peter  had  probably  a  deeper 
insight  than  any  of  his  companions  into  the  personality 
of  Jesus  ;  it  was  he  who  had  witnessed  the  good  con- 
fession, "  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God."  He  was  one  of  the  chosen  three  who  were  re- 
ceived into  the  inner  place  of  the  Lord's  confidence. 
He  had  been  with  Jesus  on  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion :  had  seen  the  homespun  garments  of  the  Naza- 
rene  flutter  aside,  revealing  his  royal  purple.  In  view 
of  such  considerations,  phis  this  admonition,  it  would 
appear  that  the  offense  could  scarcely  have  been  worse. 
Being  forewarned,  he  should  have  been  forearmed  ; 
and  above  all  this,  he  knew  that  Christ  was  praying 
for  him.    (Luke  xxii.  32.) 

His  fall  was  due  (i)  to  thoughtlessness.  He  was 
an  impulsive  man.  (2)  And  to  self-confidence.  "  Al- 
though all  shall  be  offended,"  he  said,  "  yet  will 
not  L" 

"  Beware  of  Peter's  word, 

Nor  confidently  say, 
*  I  never  will  deny  my  Lord,' 

But  '  Grant  I  never  may  ! '  " 

(3)  Also  to  the  fact  that  in  the  hour  of  trial  he  *' fol- 
lowed Jesus  afar  off."  When  he  heard  in  the  distance 
the  outcries  of  the  mob  who  were  leading  his  Lord  to 


1 62         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

judgment,  he  went  skulking  in  the  rear.  If  we  would 
be  secure,  let  us  follow  Christ  as  a  tourist  follows  his 
guide  along  the  Alpine  heights,  roped  to  him,  safe  in 
his  safety,  falling  only  when  he  falls.  (4)  Also  to 
his  association  with  evil  companions.  He  stood  in  the 
open  court  with  the  soldiers  and  warmed  his  hands  at 
their  fire.  "  He  had,"  as  a  Scotch  woman  quaintly 
said,  "nae  business  among  the  flunkeys."  No  more 
have  we.  We  must  indeed  be  in  the  world,  but  we 
need  not  be  of  it.  (5)  But  back  of  all  other  reasons 
for  Peter's  fall  was  his  arrant  cowardice.  He  fell  be- 
fore the  sneer  of  a  maidservant.  O  the  poltroon,  put 
to  rout  by  a  pointed  finger !  Had  it  been  a  leveled 
spear,  he  might  have  braved  it  ;  for,  indeed,  no  weapon 
is  fiercer  than  ridicule.  We  also  blanch  and  tremble 
before  it. 

But  the  story  of  Peter  does  not  end  with  his  down- 
fall. There  is  a  glorious  sequel.  No  sooner  had  he 
uttered  the  fateful  words  of  denial  than  the  cock  crew  ; 
and  never  did  chanticleer  carry  such  a  message  to 
the  heart  of  man.  Then  Peter  lifting  up  his  eyes, 
saw  Jesus  yonder  in  the  judgment-hall ;  and  the  Lord 
turned  and  looked  upon  him.  It  was  a  look  of  re- 
proach and  infinite  tenderness.  And  Peter  went  out, 
and  wept  bitterly.  Then  came  three  days  of  shame 
and  self-reproach.  He  wandered  alone  in  his  bitter 
sorrow.  At  night  he  awoke  from  troubled  dreams  to 
hear  himself  saying,  "  I  never  knew  him  !  "  At  length 
one  came  saying,  "  The  Master  is  dead ;  come  to  the 


His    Kind   Foresight        163 

upper  room  and  weep  with  us."  But  he  could  not. 
''  Leave  me  to  my  shame,"  he  said.  Then  another 
reported,  "  Jesus  is  risen  and  hath  sent  a  message  to 
thee."  But  the  nightmare  of  his  sin  was  still  upon 
him. 

One  morning  in  the  twilight  he  was  with  his  com- 
panions in  the  fishing  boat,  when  a  lone  figure  was 
seen  walking  on  the  shore.  They  whispered  among 
themselves,  "  It  is  the  Lord."  Peter  could  not  wait. 
In  a  passion  of  repentant  love  he  threw  off  his  fisher's 
coat  and  sprang  into  the  water ;  and  a  moment  later 
he  stood  dripping  before  his  Lord.  "  Simon,  son  of 
John  [alas,  his  old  name  !],  lovest  thou  me  .?  "  "  Yea, 
Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee."  And  again, 
"  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me  .?  "  "  Yea,  Lord, 
thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee."  Then  a  third  time, 
''Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me.-*"  And  Peter 
said,  ''  Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things — my  sin,  my 
shame,  my  remorse,  my  penitence — and  thou  knowest 
that  I  love  thee !  "  Thus  he  was  restored  to  the 
apostolate.  And  from  that  time  he  never  blushed  to 
own  his  Lord.  He  earned  his  knighthood  as  the  Man 
of  Rock.  He  stood  before  kings,  met  persecution 
with  a  courageous  front,  became  a  familiar  acquaint- 
ance of  the  scourge  and  prison  damp,  braved  the  terrors 
and  weariness  of  missionary  toil,  and  at  length  went 
through  the  gate  of  Rome  to  martyrdom.  A  moment 
later  as  he  entered  on  his  heavenly  reward,  we  may 
believe    that    to    the    "fracious  word   of  welcome  he 


164      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

replied,  '*  Now,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love 
thee  !  " 

The  sin  of  Peter  in  denying  Jesus  was  in  many 
points  akin  with  that  of  the  traitor.  He  also  was 
overwhelmed  with  remorse  ;  but  his  tears  were  min- 
gled with  faith.  He  so  believed  in  the  pardoning 
grace  of  Jesus  that  he  could  not  be  driven  to  despair. 
He  sought  the  presence  of  his  Lord  ;  and  this  makes 
all  the  difference.  The  old  monk  Staupitz  said  to 
Luther,  overwhelmed  with  shame,  *'  The  true  re- 
pentance  is  that  which  drives  the  soul  to  God." 

The  kind  foresight  of  Jesus  was  manifest,  also,  in 
his  words  touching  the  manner  of  Peter's  death.  This 
was  in  his  interview  with  his  disciples  referred  to 
above  :  ''  Verily,  verily  I  say  iinto  thee.  When  thou 
wast  yoitJig,  thou  girdedst  thyself,  and  walkedst 
zvhither  thou  ivonldest ;  but  when  thoii  shall  be  old, 
thou  shall  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  anotJier  shall 
gird  thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  wouldest 
not!'     (John  xxi.  18.) 

It  was  a  picturesque  scene  :  The  sun  was  rising 
over  the  trans- Jordanic  heights,  tinging  the  snowy 
crown  of  Hermon  with  a  red  glory,  while  a  golden 
mist  rose  slowly  from  the  western  sea.  In  the  midst 
of  the  group  stood  Jesus,  and  near  by  Peter,  in  drip- 
ping garments,  his  face  now  fallen  on  his  breast.  He 
had  forgotten  for  the  moment,  that  when  he  last  saw 
Jesus  he  had  thrice  denied  him  :  now  the  bitter  recol- 
lection  overwhelms   him.      Thrice  the  Master   asks, 


His    Kind    Foresight        165 

"  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovcst  thou  me  ?  "  Never  was 
heedless  lad  more  embarrassed  by  stern  catechist  than 
this  bold  fisherman  :  yet  with  downcast  eyes  he  answers 
thrice,  "  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee."  And  with  vast 
compassion  his  Lord  reopens  to  him  the  three  doors 
of  the  apostolic  office,  saying  ''  Feed  my  sheep."  Then 
the  grave  announcement  falls  from  his  lips  :  "  When 
thou  art  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands  and 
another  shall  gird  thee  and  carry  thee  whither  thou 
wouldst  not,"  It  was  a  prophecy  of  martyrdom.  Did 
Peter  blanche  or  tremble  when  the  cold  shadow  fell 
over  him  ?  Nay ;  this  was  what  he  had  longed  for  : 
to  be  baptized  with  his  Lord's  crimson  baptism,  to 
drink  of  his  bitter  cup.  Then  Jesus  added,  "  Follow 
me  !  "  He  had  said  it  twice  before  but  never  under 
such  circumstances,  nor  with  such  grave  significance. 
It  was  as  if  he  said,  "  Come,  Peter  ;  the  servant  is  not 
greater  than  his  Lord.  Enter  into  the  fellowship  of 
my  shame  and  agony.  On  to  the  cross !  On  to  the 
martyr's  crown  ! " 

Our  Lord  knows  us  through  and  through.  He 
knows  how  we  are  living  and  how  we  are  to  die.  And 
he  is  profoundly  interested  in  our  welfare  every  way. 
By  the  voice  of  his  Spirit  he  is  constantly  warning  and 
persuading  us.  He  did  what  he  could  to  save  Judas. 
He  stood  by  Peter  to  the  very  end.  His  love  is  round 
about  us.  "  What  more  could  he  do  for  his  vineyard 
that  he  hath  not  done  in  it .? " 


XXV. 

CHRIST  AND  THE  BIBLE. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass  away,  one  jot 
or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  away  from  the  law,  till  all  things  be 
accomplished.  Matt.  v.  i8. 

Our  Lord  declares  the  Scriptures  to  be  true.  He 
does  not  scruple  to  call  them  ''  truth."  He  does  not 
say  that  they  contain,  but  that  they  are,  the  word  of 
God.  Thus  in  his  sacerdotal  prayer  in  behalf  of  his 
disciples  he  pleads,  "  Sanctify  them  in  the  truth  :  thy 
word  is  truth."  A  follower  of  Christ  ought  to  be  will- 
ing to  follow  him  in  his  indorsement  of  the  Scriptures 
no  less  than  in  faithful  service.  He  affixed  his  seal  to 
the  story  of  the  Deluge,  saying,  "•  As  were  the  days  of 
Noah,  so  shall  be  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  :  they 
were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  mar- 
riage, until  the  flood  came  and  took  them  all  away." 
He  beUeved  in  the  old  story  of  the  destruction  of  the 
Cities  of  the  Plain  by  fire  and  brimstone  from  heaven, 
in  the  healing  efficacy  of  the  brazen  serpent,  in  the 
turning  of  Lot's  wife  into  a  pillar  of  salt,  and  in  Jonah 
in  the  whale's  belly.  He  gave  an  explicit  assent  to 
those  Old  Testament  "  fables  "  which  are  so  abhorrent 

i66 


Christ   and   the    Bible       167 

to  many  of  the  learned  critics  of  these  days.  He  was 
probably  as  well  advised  as  most  of  our  Biblical  ex- 
egetes  respecting  the  real  facts  bearing  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  inerrancy,  and  knowing  all  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  indorse  the  entire  trustworthiness  of  the  most  vul- 
nerable portions  of  Holy  Writ. 

At  the  outset  of  his  ministry  he  went  into  the  syn- 
agogue at  Nazareth  and  opened  the  scroll  at  the  place 
where  it  is  written,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon 
me,  because  he  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tid- 
ings to  the  poor  :  he  hath  sent  me  to  proclaim  re- 
lease to  the  captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the 
blind,  to  set  at  hberty  them  that  are  bruised,  and  to 
proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord  ;  "  and  having 
read  this  passage,  he  said  to  his  audience,  "  To-day 
hath  this  Scripture  been  fulfilled  in  your  ears."  Dur- 
ing the  three  years  that  followed  he  hypothecated  the 
truth  of  his  teaching  and  the  genuineness  of  his  work 
in  all  particulars  on  the  sanction  of  Holy  Writ.  And 
after  his  resurrection,  while  walking  with  certain  of 
his  disciples  along  the  way  to  Emmaus,  "  beginning 
from  Moses  and  from  all  the  prophets,  he  interpreted 
to  them  in  all  the  Scriptures  the  things  concerning  him- 
self." It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  substance 
of  that  expository  sermon.  We  may  be  quite  sure 
that  he  unfolded  the  meaning  of  ancient  rites  and 
symbols  as  well  as  of  Messianic  prediction  in  the 
light  of  the  things  which  had  recently  happened  at 
Jerusalem.     We  may  be  equally  sure  that  he  care- 


1 68      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

fully  avoided  any  suggestion  of  the  fact  which  has 
recently  been  discovered  by  a  liberal  Professor  in  one 
of  our  Evangelical  Seminaries  that  "  the  great  body 
of  the  Messianic  prediction  has  not  only  never  been 
fulfilled,  but  cannot  now  be  fulfilled,  for  the  reason 
that  its  own  time  has  passed  for  ever." 

The  words,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Till  Jieavcn  and 
earth  pass  azvay,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  zuise 
pass  azvay  from  the  lazu,  till  all  things  be  accom- 
plisJied,''  are,  if  possible,  of  still  clearer  import.  Ob- 
serve the  manifold  emphasis  ;  the  "  Verily,"  the  "  I 
say  unto  you,"  the  "  till  heaven  and  earth  pass,"  the 
''  one  jot  or  one  tittle,"  the  "  in  no  wise,"  and  the 
"all."  It  is  difficult  to  see  how  he  could  have  ex- 
pressed more  forcibly  his  unreserved  confidence  in 
the  absolute  integrity  of  Holy  Writ.  He  plants  him- 
self, here,  on  its  entire  truth  and  trustworthiness, 
and  hypothecates  his  character,  his  preaching,  his 
work,  his  passion,  his  resurrection  and  his  ultimate  tri- 
umph upon  it. 

It  will  be  well,  furthermore,  to  consider  the  strange 
silence  of  Jesus  respecting  all  those  alleged  errors  and 
discrepancies  which  so  vex  the  souls  of  certain  of  our 
learned  folk.  Did  he  know  that  these  blunders  were 
to  be  found  in  the  sacred  pages  .?  How  is  it  that  he 
uttered  no  words  against  the"  Mosaic  cosmogony? 
How  is  it  that  he  did  not  denounce  those  imprecatory 
Psalms  which  are  "  too  horrible  to  be  read  "  in  some 
of  our  modern  pulpits }     How  it  is  that  he  did  not  expose 


Christ   and   the    Bible       i6g 

the  falsity  of  those  prophecies  concerning  himself  which 
have  never  been  fulfilled  and  never  can  be  because 
their  time  has  gone  by  ?  Surely  it  is  not  too  much 
to  suppose  that  Jesus  was  an  honest  man.  He  seems 
to  have  been  a  fervent  hater  of  shams  and  impos- 
tures, lying  frontlets  and  phylacteries,  false  traditions 
of  the  elders  and  deceptions  of  every  sort.  Is  it  possi- 
ble that  his  eyes  were  not  so  clear  in  this  particular  as 
those  of  our  recent  Biblical  scholars  ?  Or  was  his 
.-^oul  not  so  sensitive  with  regard  to  those  dreadful 
things  in  Scripture  ?  We  are  in  a  dilemma.  Was  he 
unscrupulous  or  merely  ignorant  ?  Must  we  put  the 
most  severe  limitations  upon  his  knowledge,  assuming 
that  he  knew  no  better  than  to  let  these  errors  pass 
unchallenged,  or  must  we  impugn  his  ingenuousness  ? 
In  either  case  we  could  scarcely  receive  him  as  our 
Saviour  and  spiritual  guide. 

We  profess  to  be  Christians.  This  means  not  sim- 
ply that  we  trust  in  Jesus  for  our  deliverance  from  the 
unquenchable  fire,  but  that  we  follow  him  in  all  things. 
In  every  question  of  truth  and  conduct  his  decision 
must  be  supreme.  His  word  makes  an  end  of  contro- 
versy for  us.  His  Verily  is  our  Court  of  Last  Ap- 
peal. When,  therefore,  we  have  determined  what  he 
believed  and  taught  about  the  Bible,  that  must  con- 
clusively and  finally  determine  our  opinion  of  it. 


XXVI. 
HEAVEN. 

Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise. 

Luke  xxiii.  43. 
Verily    I  say  unto  you,  I   shall  no  more   drink  of  the  fruit  of  the 
vine,  until  that  day  when  I  drink  it  new  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Mark  xiv.  25. 
Verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  rejoiceth  over  it  more  than  over  the  ninety 
and  nine  which  have  not  gone  astray.  Matt,  xviii.  13. 

"  To-dayr 

The  enemies  of  Jesus  had  nailed  him  to  the  cross ; 
but  they  could  not  rob  him  of  his  power  to  save.  His 
hands,  pierced  and  bleeding-,  had  not  lost  their  cunning. 
He  reached  them  forth  in  that  last  hour  and  plucked 
a  penitent  reprobate  from  the  quicksands  of  shame 
and  despair,  in  which  he  was  sinking  fast,  and  set  his 
feet  upon  the  everlasting  rock  ! 

But  you  "  do  not  believe  in  death-bed  conversions." 
No  more  do  I.  A  man  is  a  coward  who  will  burn  out 
the  candle  of  his  life  and  fling  the  sooty  remnant  on 
the  altar.  A  man  is  a  coward  and  deserves  no  mercy 
who  will  spend  his   years   in   sordid   toil   and   selfish 

170 


Heaven  171 

pleasure  and  expect  to  leap  into  heaven  at  the  last, 
with  the  cry  "  God,  have  mercy  !  "  upon  his  lips.  This 
is  a  dangerous  venture.  If  I  were  you  I  would  not 
try  it.  But  God  is  sovereign  and  worketh  when  and 
where  and  how  he  will.  Grace  is  free.  Wesley  never 
wrote  a  truer  couplet  than  this, 

"  Betwixt  the  saddle  and  the  ground, 
Mercy  sought,  is  mercy  found." 

It  has  been  wisely  said  that  one  record  of  a  death-bed 
conversion  is  given  in  the  Scriptures,  so  that  none 
may  ever  despair  ;  but  only  one,  so  that  none  may 
ever  presume.  We  may  doubt  all  other  death-bed 
conversions  if  it  pleases  us  so,  but  as  to  this  particular 
one  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  the  penitent 
thief  was  saved.  W^e  have  the  word  of  the  Lord  for 
it. 

And  Jesus  said,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day 
thou  sJialt  be  with  me  in  Paradise!'  (Luke  xxiii.  43.) 
Blessed  be  God  for  that  word  "To-day"  !  No  pur- 
gatory then.  No  hundred  years  of  penance  to  burn 
out  the  record  of  the  mislived  past,  and  then  the  open 
gates.  And  no  "soul  sleeping  " — a  million  years  of 
resting  in  unconsciousness  to  awake  at  the  trumpet 
sound  and  sweep  in  with  the  great  multitude.  No. 
"To-day"  with  Christ  in  Paradise.  In  the  morning 
he  was  led  out  from  the  Damascus  gate  wearing  at 
his  neck  the  titulum,  "  He  dies  a  thief."  No  friends 
to  pity  him  ;  all  say,  "  It  served  him  right,"  and  it  did. 
But,  perhaps,  there  was  a  home  in  Jerusalem  filled 


172       The   Verilies    of  Jesus 

with  sorrow  for  him — where  an  old  mother  sat  rocking 
to  and  fro,  her  face  in  her  hands,  lamenting,  "  Woe 
is  me  for  my  wayward  son.  He  dies  a  felon's  death." 
She  dared  not  lift  her  face  and  look  toward  Golgotha, 
for  there  was  the  gallows-tree.  Her  heart  w^as  crushed 
with  unspeakable  shame,  yet  filled  with  love  ;  love 
maternal,  love  unconquerable,  love  which  many  waters 
cannot  quench.  But,  O  had  she  known  !  The  gar- 
ments of  her  woe  would  have  been  laid  aside  and  joy 
would  have  brightened  her  dim  eyes,  had  she  heard 
the  Master's  words  and  known  their  meaning ;  for 
Jesus  went  before  to  Paradise  and  stood  at  the  gate  of 
the  garden  to  welcome  this  penitent  and  believing  sin- 
ner, saying,  "  Enter,  beloved  !  " 

At  tJic  Feast. 

The  Lord's  Supper  is  a  foretaste  of  heaven.  As  he 
sat  at  the  table  with  his  disciples  he  said,  "  Verily  I 
say  unto  y OH,  I  shall  no  more  drink  of  tJie  fruit  of  the 
vine,  until  that  day  zvJien  I  drink  it  new  in  the  king- 
dom of  God.  (Mark  xiv.  25.)  Here,  as  in  many 
other  places  he  Hkens  heaven  to  a  feast,  at  which  he 
shall  preside  and  his  people  shall  be  the  happy  guests. 
Of  course  we  are  to  know  him  there,  better  than  we 
have  known  him  here  ;  and  this  will  be  the  very  es- 
sence of  our  happiness.  What  would  heaven  be  with- 
out him  }     "  The  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof." 

But  we  are  to  know  each  other,  also.     This  is  im- 


Heaven  173 

plied  in  the  suggestion  of  a  feast.  Did  you  ever  sit 
at  table  with  a  company  where  you  were  not  acquainted 
with  anybody  but  your  host ;  and  if  so  was  it  not  a 
dismal  affair  ?  And  shall  we  so  look  forward  to  the 
marriage  feast  whereat  we  are  to  celebrate  the  nup- 
tials of  the  King's  Son  ?  Of  that  festive  occasion  the 
Lord  said,  "  They  shall  come  from  the  east  and  from 
the  west  and  the  north  and  the  south  and  sit  down 
with  Abraham  and  Isaac  in  the  kingdom."  If  the 
inhabitants  are  to  know  those  ancient  worthies,  why 
shall  they  not  also  recognize  others  w4io  are  nearer 
and  dearer  ? 

A  devout  man,  on  being  asked  if  he  expected  to 
know  his  favorite  sister  in  the  after-world,  said  that  he 
expected  to  be  so  continually  occupied  with  the  beauty 
of  the  Bright  and  Morning  Star  that  she  might  remain 
for  ages  by  her  side  and  he  not  notice  her.  In  that 
reply  there  was  a  vast  amount  of  ignorance  if  not  of  pious 
affectation.  Is  there  any  incompatibility  between  our 
love  for  the  great  Father  and  our  love  for  our  kinsfolk 
and  friends  ?  Is  there  any  incongruity  between  the 
first  and  second  of  the  great  commandments  ?  A  man 
may  love  the  Lord  with  all  his  soul  and  yet  love  his 
human  associates  with  a  pure  heart  fervently.  Nay, 
more,  the  love  of  God  is  perfected  in  us  only  when  we 
thus  love  one  another.  Our  sanctified  kinships  and 
friendships  are  as  eternal  as  the  Father's  love. 

There  is  no  Lethe  between  this  world  and  the  here- 
after.    There   can   be   none,  else  our  identity  would 


174      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

cease  ;  for  memory  is  the  nexus  binding  the  here  with 
the  hereafter.  We  shall  wal'v  together  in  the  green 
pastures  of  Canaan  and  review  the  joys  and  sorrows 
of  our  earthly  life.  We  shall  sit  at  the  table  with 
Christ  and  our  loved  ones.  A  Danish  poet  tells  of  a 
glorified  spirit  who  was  sent  to  bring  the  soul  of  a 
little  girl  to  heaven.  While  winging  his  way  with  his 
precious  charge,  the  child  saw  a  rose-tree  in  his  hand 
and  asked  the  meaning  of  it.  The  angel  replied  that 
once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  poor  lad  in  the  city  they 
had  left  who  lay  for  a  long  while  dying.  That  rose-tree 
was  the  one  solace  of  his  loneliness  ;  it  filled  the  sick 
chamber  with  its  fragrance  and  spoke  of  the  coming 
spring.  And  now,  at  his  desire,  the  flower  was  to  be 
transplanted  to  Paradise.  Then  the  child  looked  up 
into  the  angel's  face  and  asked  : 

"  '  How  knowest  thou  this,  bright  power  ? ' 
Then  splendidly  he  smiled: 
'  Should  I  not  know  my  flower  ? 
I  was  that  sickly  child. '  " 

Ay,  we  shall  remember  there.  The  old  home,  the 
tree  by  the  doorway,  the  well-sweep,  the  path  leading 
through  the  meadow,  the  far-away  sound  of  the  school- 
bell — we  remember  them  here,  and  in  glory  they  will 
still  abide  with  us. 

The  Joy  of  Heaven. 

The  joy  of  the  Lord  is  in  the   finding  of  the   lost. 
This  is  "  the  fruit  of  the  travail  of  his   soul."     He 


Heaven  175 

went  forth  to  seek  and  to  save,  leaving  the  ninety  and 
nine  that  he  might  answer  the  cry  of  the  lost  one  on 
the  mountains.     And  he  sought  until  he  found  it. 

"  Then  all  through  the  mountains  thunder-riven, 
And  up  from  the  rocky  steep, 
There  rose  a  cry  to  the  gates  of  heaven, 
Rejoice,  I  have  found  my  sheep  ! 
And  the  angels  echoed  around  the  throne 
Rejoice,  for  the  Lord  brings  back  his  own  !  " 

He  sits  on  his  high  place  in  heaven,  while  the 
multitude  throng  in  through  the  open  gates  and  break 
into  singing,  "  Worthy  art  thou,  for  thou  hast  redeemed 
us  !  "  and  beholding  in  them  the  fruit  of  his  travail 
he  is  satisfied.  Is  not  this  a  joy  worthy  of  the  beloved 
Son  ?  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  rcjoicctJi  over  it  more 
than  over  the  ninety  a?id  nine  ivhich  have  not  gone 
astray.     (Matt,  xviii.  13.) 

And  the  Lord  will  share  his  happiness  with  us. 
The  celebration  of  the  prodigal's  return  was  a  fore- 
gleam  of  heaven.  The  father  called  his  neighbors  to 
a  feast.  The  lights  were  kindled  and  the  table  spread. 
There  were  sounds  of  music  and  dancing.  All  made 
merry  together  because  the  lost  was  found  ;  and  in 
that  joyous  company  none  was  happier  than  the  re- 
turned prodigal.  As  the  guests  moved  to  the  table 
he  would  have  taken  the  lowest  place  ;  but  the  seat 
of  honor  is  given  him.  All  doubts  and  misgivings  are 
gone.  The  shoes  of  a  freeman  are  on  his  feet  and 
a  ring  of  adoption  on  his  hand.     The  father  speaks. 


176         The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

"  Neighbors,  rejoice  with  me  !  This  my  son  was  bst 
and  is  found,  he  was  dead  and  is  ahve  again  !  "  This 
is  heaven.  The  Host  and  his  guests  participate  in  a 
common  joy. 

As  Christian  in  the  Pilgrim's  Progress  drew  near 
to  the  Heavenly  City,  he  saw  the  gates  open  to  re- 
ceive others.  "  I  looked  in  after  them,"  he  says, 
"  and,  behold,  the  city  shone  like  the  sun  ;  the  streets 
also  were  paved  with  gold,  and  in  them  walked  many 
who  had  crowns  on  their  heads  and  palms  in  their 
hands  and  golden  harps  to  sing  praises  withal.  There 
were  also  some  that  had  wings,  and  they  answered 
one  another  without  intermission,  saying,  '  Holy,  holy, 
holy  is  the  Lord  !  '  And  after  that  they  shut  up  the 
gates  ;  which,  when  I  had  seen,  I  wished  myself  among 
them."  If  you  also,  my  friend,  wish  to  be  among  them, 
let  the  Lord  carry  you,  as  the  shepherd  carries  the  lost 
sheep  on  his  shoulders,  through  the  duties  and  respon- 
sibilities of  life,  up  the  steeps  and  over  the  rough  places, 
through  the  gates  into  the  home  of  God. 


XXVII. 

THE  SECOND  ADVENT. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone  upon 
another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.  Matt.  xxiv.  2. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  till  all 
these  things  be  accomplished.  Matt.  xxiv.  34. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you.  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  till  all 
things  be  accomplished.  Luke  xxi.  32. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Ve  shall  not  have  gone  through  all  the  cities 
of  Israel,  till  the  Son  of  man  be  gone.  Matt.  x.  23. 

Verily  I  say  unto  you.  There  are  some  of  them  that  stand  here, 
who  shall  in  no  wise  ta.ste  death,  till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  com- 
ing in  his  kingdom.  Matt.  xvi.  28. 

Ix  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  his  final  coming 
there  is  a  strange  confusion  of  terms  ;  strange,  that 
is,  to  one  who  fails  to  consider  that  no  prophecy  is 
ever  so  definite  as  to  dispense  with  the  necessity  of 
faith.  The  purpose  of  prophecy  is  not  to  gratify 
curiosity  but  to  awaken  expectancy  and  stimulate  de- 
sire. To  this  end  there  must  be  concealment  in  the 
very  process  of  revealing ;  so  that  the  soul,  awaiting 
the  denouement  with  eagerness,  yet  meets  it  with  sur- 
prise, crying,  "  How  clear  !  And  how  could  I  ever 
have  failed  to  perceive  it  .^ " 

So  it  happens  that  the  Biblical  prophecies  are  fre- 
quently complex,  two  or  more  events  being  mingled 
L  177 


178      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

inextricably.  In  the  Messianic  Psalms,  for  example, 
there  is  oftentimes  an  immediate  reference  to  David 
with  a  remoter  one  to  ''  David's  greater  Son."  The 
birth  of  Jesus  was  predicted  in  terms  so  minute  and 
particular  that  we  wonder  how  any  could  misunder- 
stand ;  yet,  prior  to  the  incarnation,  there  was  prob- 
ably not  one  person  on  earth  who  perceived  the  won- 
derful truth  in  its  real  significance.  The  reason  is 
obvious  :  these  prophecies  were  designedly  involved, 
paradoxical  and  enigmatic,  leaving  room  for  faith. 

We  should  expect  to  find  something  of  the  same 
sort  in  the  predictions  of  Christ  as  to  his  Second 
Coming.  His  so-called  "  parousia  discourse,"  (Matt. 
xxiv.  and  xxv.)  was  addressed  to  his  disciples  in  answer 
to  three  questions,  namely,  "  When  shall  Jerusalem 
and  the  Temple  be  destroyed  ?  "  ''  When  shall  the 
kingdom  be  established  on  earth  ? "  (signalized  by 
"the  end  of  the  world,"  that  is,  of  the  present  order 
of  things)  and  "  What  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  Com- 
ing .?  "  In  the  discourse  referred  to  these  events  are 
commingled  and  blended  in  a  designedly  confusing 
way.  The  truth  of  each  event  is  emphasized  with  a 
Verily ;  but  the  complexity  is  such  as  to  suggest 
that  Christ  intended  us  to  pause  far  short  of  cer- 
tainty as  to  details,  leaving  the  times  and  seasons 
with  God. 

I.  To  us,  who  stand  this  side  of  the  event,  it  is  an 
easy  matter  to  indicate  and  detach  the  references  of 
Jesus  as   to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.     Our  pres- 


The   Second   Advent       179 

ent  purpose  has  to  do  only  with  such  of  his  proph- 
ecies as  bear  the  emphatic  seal  of  the  Verily.  "  And 
Jesus  went  out  from  the  temple,  and  was  going  on 
his  way  ;  and  his  disciples  came  to  him  to  show  him 
the  buildings  of  the  temple.  But  he  answered  and 
said  unto  them,  See  ye  not  all  these  things  ?  Vei-ily  ■ 
I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone 
up07i  ajiother,  that  sJiall  not  be  tJiroivii  doivn!'  (Matt, 
xxiv.  I,  2.) 

A  little  further  on  in  the  same  discourse  the  refer- 
ence is  made  clearer  still.  "  Now  from  the  fig  tree 
learn  her  parable  :  when  her  branch  is  now  become 
tender,  and  putteth  forth  its  leaves,  ye  know  that  the 
summer  is  nigh  ;  even  so  ye  also,  when  ye  see  all 
these  things,  know  ye  that  he  is  nigh,  even  at  the 
doors.  'Verily  I  say  unto  yon,  This  generation  shall 
not  pass  away,  till  all  these  things  be  accomplisJiedr 
(Matt.   xxiv.    32-34.) 

The  details  of  the  historic  siege  and  overthrow  of 
Jerusalem  are  given  with  more  particularity  in  Luke 
xxiv.,  where  the  climax  of  the  prediction  is  reached 
again  in  the  parable  of  the  shaken  fig  tree:  *'And 
he  spake  to  them  a  parable  :  Behold  the  fig  tree,  and 
all  the  trees  :  when  they  now  shoot  forth,  ye  see  it  and 
know  of  your  ownselves  that  the  summer  is  now  nigh. 
Even  so  ye  also,  when  ye  see  these  things  coming  to 
pass,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  nigh. 
Verily  I  say  nnto  you,  This  generation  shall  not  pass 
azvay^    till  all  tilings  be  accomplished ^      (Luke  xxi. 


i8o       The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

29-32.)  The  retributive  aspect  of  this  event  is  dwelt 
upon  in  Luke  xi.  47-5  i  :  ''  Woe  unto  you !  for  ye 
build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  your  fathers 
killed  them.  So  ye  are  witnesses  and  consent  unto 
the  works  of  your  fathers  ;  for  they  killed  them,  and 
ye  build  their  tombs.  Therefore  also  said  the  wisdom 
of  God,  I  will  send  unto  them  prophets  and  apostles  : 
and  some  of  them  they  shall  kill  and  persecute ;  that 
the  blood  of  all  the  prophets,  which  was  shed  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  may  be  required  of  this 
generation  ;  from  the  blood  of  Abel  unto  the  blood  of 
Zachariah,  who  perished  between  the  altar  and  the 
sanctuary :  yea,  I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  be  required  of 
this  generation." 

It  is  a  true  saying.  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth — aye, 
or  a  nation — that  shall  he  also  reap.  The  Jews  who 
crucified  Jesus  cried  with  one  accord  ''  His  blood  be 
on  us  and  on  our  children  !  "  God  took  them  at  their 
word.  The  bolt  of  justice  fell  when  Jerusalem  was 
overthrown  and  they  were  scattered  to  the  four  winds. 
Centuries  have  passed  and  they  are  still  a  stigmatized 
race,  A  people  without  a  fatherland,  a  nation  with- 
out a  government,  a  church  without  a  temple,  exiles 
and  wanderers,  their  history  is  vibrant  with  that  aw- 
ful cry,  "  His  blood  be  upon  us  ! " 

H.  It  is  easy  also  to  designate  certain  of  the  Verily 
predictions  pointing  to  the  coming  of  Christ's  kingdom 
on  earth.  Two  of  these  are  as  follows  :  "  But  zvJien 
they  pei'secute  you  in  this  city  Jice  into  the  next ;  for 


The   Second   Advent       i  8  i 

verily  I  say  unto  yon,  Yc  shall  not  Jiave  gone  throngh 
the  cities  of  Israel,  till  tJie  Son  of  man  be  come!' 
(Matt.  X.  23.)  This  was  uttered  in  connection  with 
the  sending  out  of  the  Twelve.  Here  ''the  Coming 
of  the  Son  of  man  "  means  obviously  the  beginning  of 
the  great  campaign  of  evangelization.  The  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit  at  Pentecost,  with  its  ingathering  of 
thousands,  was  the  first  notable  triumph  of  Christianity. 
It  was  the  trumpet  blast  that  gave  the  signal  for  the 
advance  through  the  ages.  It  occurred  before  the 
Twelve  had  finished  their  itinerary  of  Palestine  ;  and 
it  was  the  foregleam  and  prototype  of  spiritual  victories 
which  have  attended  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  ever 
since  and  are  destined  to  continue  until  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  shall  be  universal. 

The  other  passage  referred  to  is  in  Matt.  xvi.  27-28  : 
"  For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his 
P'ather  with  his  angels  ;  and  then  shall  he  render  to 
every  man  according  to  his  deeds.  Verily  I  say  nnto 
yon,  There  are  some  of  them  that  stand  here,  who  shall 
in  no  wise  taste  of  cleat Ji,  till  they  see  the  So?i  of  man 
coming  in  his  kingdom!'  Here  again  "the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  man  in  his  glory  "  has  reference  to  a 
procession  of  events  beginning  within  the  lifetime  of 
the  apostles  and  having  its  consummation  in  the  con- 
quest of  the  world,  this  giving  the  final  signal  for  the 
appearing  of  the  King,  whose  glory  shall  then  cover 
the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 

III.  To  these  Verilies  must  be  added  one  other  noted 


I  82      The   Verilies  of  Jesus 

prophetic  utterance  which  bears  obviously  and  immedi- 
ately on  the  final  advent  of  Jesus.  "  O  Jerusalem,  Jeru- 
salem, that  killeth  the  prophets,  and  stoneth  them  that 
are  sent  unto  her  !  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy 
children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathered  her  own  brood 
under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Behold,  your 
house  is  left  unto  you  desolate  and  I  say  unto  you. 
Ye  shall  not  see  me,  until  ye  shall  say.  Blessed  is  he 
that  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  (Luke  xiii. 
34-35.)*  Here  is  a  reference  to  the  historic  welcome 
to  the  Messiah.     (Psalm  cxviii.  25-2,6.) 

But  the  Jews,  of  all  nations,  have  been  most  reluctant 
to  recognize  Christ.  The  worst  of  the  calamities  that 
have  befallen  them  is  spiritual  blindness.  I  was  once 
greatly  perplexed  by  a  service  which  I  attended  in  the 
great  synagogue  at  Rotterdam.  The  place  was 
thronged  with  worshippers.  The  lights  were  not 
burning  except  a  candle  here  and  there,  just  enough  to 
make  the  darkness  visible.  The  high  priest  chanted 
the  service  in  a  melancholy  voice.  I  felt  as  if  in  a 
mummy  crypt.  What  could  this  mean  }  All  at  once 
the  character  of  the  service  changed.  The  lights  in  the 
great  chandeliers  were  kindled  ;  the  worshippers  pro- 
duced tapers,  lighted  them,  held  them  aloft ;  the  priest 
had  risen  and  was  reciting  in  a  gladsome  voice,  the  men 
responding,     '*  Hosanna !     hosanna !  "       On     inquiry 

*  It  will  be  observed  that  the  Verily  of  this  passage  in  the  Author- 
ized Version  does  not  appear  in  the  Revision  ;  but  as  the  passage  is 
so  closely  and  appropriately  related  to  the  matter  in  hand  it  is  worthy 
of  citation,  particularly  as  it  bears  the  emphasis  of  "  I  say  unto  you." 


The   Second   Advent        183 

afterwards  I  learned  that  this  service  was  commemora- 
tive of  the  overthrow  of  Jerusalem  and  the  captivity  of 
its  people.  And  the  kindling  of  the  lights  meant  that 
Messiah  was  to  come.  Oh,  when  will  the  hoodwink  be 
taken  from  Israel's  eyes  ?  When  shall  they  see  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ  ? 

The  rejoicings  of  Palm  Sunday  are  set  forth  as  an 
earnest  of  the  universal  gladness  which  is  to  prevail 
at  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.     But  Palm  Sunday  is 
only  one  chapter  of  the  story,  as   Jesus  said,   ^'  Now 
this  is  come  to   pass,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which 
was  spoken  through   the  prophet   saying."     To  find 
what  this  prophet  said  we  must  go  back  five  hundred 
years    to    the  rebuilding  of   the  Temple.     A  caravan 
made  up  of  five  thousand  of  the  flower  of  Israel  had 
been   permitted   to  return  from   Babylon.     At  once 
they  set  to  work,  animated  by  the  most  patriotic  and 
religious   motives,  to   rebuild  the  temple.     They  had 
received   contributions  of   about  half  a  miUion  of  dol- 
lars in  free-will  offerings  for  this  purpose.     In  Ziph, 
the  blossom  month,  the  work  began  in  earnest ;  and 
it  was  continued   for  a  period  of  some   years  despite 
many  discouragements  and  the  opposition  of  the  sur- 
rounding tribes.     Then  their  enthusiasm  ceased  ;  the 
fires  upon  the  altar  died  out ;  the  workmen  longed  to 
return  to  agricultural  pursuit ;  the  fields  lay  fallow  in 
their  Sight ;  one  by  one   they  put  aside  the   hammer 
and  trowel  and  went  forth  to  attend  to  their  own  af- 
fairs.    The    sanctuary  was    deserted  ;  its  bare  walls 


184      The   Verilies   of  Jesus 

were  open  to  the  skies  ;  the  winds  from  the  heights 
of  Moab  swept  through  its  imhnteled  doors ;  owls 
made  their  nests  in  its  nooks  and  crannies  ;  foxes 
from  the  ravine  of  Hinnom  crept  in  and  out  its  Holy 
Place  ;  the  outer  precincts  were  filled  with  heaps  of 
uncut  stone  and  lumber.  This  was  the  condition  of 
affairs  when  Zechariah  came.  He  exhorted  the  men 
of  Israel  to  return  to  their  sacred  task ;  he  sought  to 
rekindle  their  ardor  by  reciting  a  series  of  glowing 
visions  through  which  walked  in  divine  majesty  their 
Messianic  King.  The  climax  of  his  exhortation  was 
reached  in  this  prophecy  :  "  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daugh- 
ter of  Zion  ;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem  ;  behold, 
thy  king  cometh  unto  thee ;  he  is  just  and  having  sal- 
vation ;  lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass  ;  and  his  do- 
minion shall  be  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  River 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth."      (Zechariah  ix.  9-10.) 

Now  link  that  event  with  this  triumphal  entry  which 
occurred  A.  D.  30.  It  is  the  darkest  hour  in  the  his- 
tory of  Israel.  The  religion  of  the  chosen  people  is 
much  like  the  unfinished  temple,  and  their  govern- 
ment is  trodden  down  by  alien  feet.  The  Man  of 
Nazareth  is  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem.  He  has  passed 
the  night  in  Bethany,  and  at  daybreak  resumes  his 
journey,  staff  in  hand.  His  disciples  are  with  him, 
and  a  company  of  pilgrims  to  the  great  annual  feast. 
Not  far  from  Bethphage  he  rests  for  a  season,  and 
sends  two  of  his  disciples  for  the  beast  of  burden  which 
is  to  carry  him  into  the  city  .     In  the  meantime  it  is 


The   Second  Advent       185 

known  in  Jerusalem  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  draw- 
ing near.  The  story  of  his  preaching  and  miracles  is 
on  every  lip.  The  people,  encamped  in  leafy  booths 
on  the  hillsides,  see  the  caravan  approaching  on  the 
heights  overlooking  the  Kidron.  They  hear  the 
shouting  and  commotion  ;  they  know  what  it  means. 
They  stream  up  the  road,  tearing  off  branches  of  the 
palm-trees  ;  so  the  two  companies  meet  ;  those  going 
before  joining  with  those  that  follow  after  in  the  cry, 
"  Hosanna  !  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David  !  "  They 
wave  the  palm  branches,  they  cast  their  garments  in 
the  road  before  him,  and  so  escort  him  over  the  ford 
of  the  Kidron  and  on  through  the  city  gates.  The  peo- 
ple on  the  roofs  and  in  their  doorways  see  the  procession 
passing  by  ;  traders  and  camel-drivers,  and  rabbis  in 
robes  embroidered  with  gold,  all  gaze  with  interest. 
Who  is  this  ?  It  is  the  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  who 
claims  to  be  the  Messiah  of  God.  On  toward  the 
temple  moves  the  strange  procession,  crying,  "Hos- 
anna !  Hosanna !  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  !  " 

Now  link  that  event  with  still  another  which  is  as 
yet  behind  the  veil.  It  was  seen  by  John  the  Evange- 
list before  the  Book  was  sealed  ;  for  the  triumphal 
advent  was  itself  a  mere  prophecy  of  John's  vision. 
In  that  vision  he  saw  the  moon  covered  with  a  bloody 
veil ;  the  stars  fell  as  when  a  fig-tree  is  shaken  of  its 
untimely  figs  ;  the  heavens  were  rolled  up  like  a  scroll ; 
the  earth  was  on  fire ;  the  hour  struck  ;  the  spirits  of 


1 86      The   Verilies    of    Jesus 

the  dead  came  forth  ;  angels  and  archangels  crowded 
the  expanse  above.  Armies  !  Armies  !  Armies  ! 
Palms  in  their  hand  and  shouts  of  victory  !  Far  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  angels  and  archangels  and  saints 
triumphant.  Now  the  trumpet  blast  !  The  heavens 
are  opened  and  the  Son  of  man  appears,  robed  in  light 
and  glory,  and  crowned  with  a  diadem  of  stars ;  he 
lifts  his  hands  in  benediction,  intercessory  hands, 
marked  with  the  scars  of  his  mediatorial  anguish. 
"  Hosanna !  Hosanna !  to  the  Son  of  David !  Worthy 
art  thou  to  receive  honor  and  glory  and  dominion  and 
power  for  ever  and  ever  !  "  The  end  has  come ;  the 
tabernacle  of  God  is  among  men.  The  prophecies  are 
ended.  Close  the  book  and  seal  it.  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
is  universal  king ;  his  dominion  is  from  sea  to  sea  and 
from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

But  when  shall  these  things  be  ?  "  Take  heed  that 
no  man  lead  you  astray.  And  they  shall  say  to  you, 
Lo,  there !  Lo,  here  !  go  not  away,  nor  follow  after 
them  :  for  as  the  lightning,  when  it  lighteneth  out  of 
the  one  part  under  the  heaven,  shineth  unto  the  other 
part  under  heaven  ;  so  shall  be  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  man." 

It  is  useless  to  busy  ourselves  with  prophetic 
arithmetic.  The  key  of  Daniel's  mystical  figures  hangs 
at  God's  girdle.  And  the  question,  "  When  comest 
thou  .?  "  is  of  far  less  importance  than  *'  What  wilt  thou 
have  me  to  do  ? "  Hear  then  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter  :  "  Watch  !     And  again  I  say  unto  you, 


The   Second   Advent       187 

Watch  !  For  yet  a  very  little  while  and  he  that  cometh 
shall  come  and  shall  not  tarry."  A  brave  song  was 
that  of  Charles  Kingsley  : 

"  Who  would  sit  down  and  sigh  for  a  lost  Age  of  Gold 

When  the  Lord  of  all  ages  is  here  ? 
True  hearts  will  leap  up  at  the  trumpet  of  God, 

And  those  who  can  suffer,  can  dare. 
Each  old  Age  of  Gold  was  an  Iron  Age  too. 
And  the  meekest  of  saints  can  find  stern  work  to  do, 

In  the  Day  of  the  Lord  at  hand!  " 

On  the  famous  "dark  day"  in  1870  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  Connecticut  in  session  at 
Hartford  was  greatly  alarmed  by  the  unaccountable 
veiling  of  the  sun  at  high  noon.  A  whisper  passed 
among  the  legislators  that  this  might  possible  be  the 
end  of  the  world.  At  this  juncture  Colonel  Daven- 
port arose  and  moved  that  candles  be  brought  and 
that  they  proceed  with  the  work  in  hand.  "  For," 
he  said,  "  if  this  is  indeed  the  end  of  the  world,  I  am 
sure  the  Master  can  find  us  no  better  employed  than 
in  attending  to  our  appointed  tasks." 

Here  is  the  Master's  word  :  "  Let  your  loins  be 
girded  about — as  for  labor — and  your  lamps  burning — 
as  in  vigil — and  be  ye  yourselves  like  unto  men  look- 
ing for  their  lord  ;  that,  when  he  cometh  and  knocketh, 
at  even  or  at  midnight,  or  at  cock-crowing  or  in  the 
morning,  they  may  straightway  open  unto  him.  Watch, 
therefore  :  for  ye  know  not  on  what  day  your  Lord 
cometh.  He  who  testifieth  these  things  saith.  Yea : 
I  come  quickly.     Amen  :  come.  Lord  Jesus  !  " 


INDEX  OF  VERILY  PASSAGES 


Matthew    v. 

i8 

Chap.  XXV. 

26 

XII. 

vi. 

2,  5,  16 

XI. 

viii. 

10 

XX. 

X. 

15 

X. 

23 

XXVII. 

42 

XI. 

xi. 

II 

X. 

xiii. 

37 

X. 

xvi. 

28 

XXVII. 

xvii. 

20 

XX. 

xviii. 

3 

II. 

13 

XXVI. 

18 

XXII. 

xix. 

23 

XIV. 

28 

XI. 

xxi. 

21 

XX. 

31 

X. 

xxiv. 

2,34 

XXVII. 

xxiv. 

47 

XI. 

XXV. 

12 

XII. 

40-45 

XIII. 

Mark 

iii. 

28 

IV. 

viii. 

12 

VIII. 

xii. 

43 

XV. 

xiv. 

9 

XI. 

18 

XXIV. 

25 

XXVI. 

30 

XXIV, 

Luke 

iv. 

24 

XVIII. 

xii. 

37 

XXIII. 

xviii. 

29,30 

XI. 

xxi. 

32 

XXVII. 

xxiii. 

43 

XXVI. 

Page 
166 

77 

68 

127 

57 

177 

68 

57 

57 

177 

127 

7 
170 

145 

88 

68 

127 

57 

177 

68 

77 


20 

45 

98 

68 

158 

170 

158 

117 

153 

65 

170 


189 


I  go     Index  of  Verily  Passages 

John 


Page 

i-5i 

XVII. 

1X2 

iii.  3.  5.  II 

I. 

I 

V.  19 

XVI. 

105 

24,25 

III. 

12 

.  '5 

VI. 

34 

VI.  26,  32,  47,  53 

III. 

viii.  34 

V. 

27 

51 

VI. 

44 

58 

XVI. 

105 

X.   I 

III. 

12 

xii.  24 

VII. 

39 

xiii.  16 

XXIII. 

153 

20 

XVI. 

105 

xiv.  12 

XIX. 

123 

xvi,  20 

IX. 

52 

.    ^l 

XXI. 

i3f 

XXI.  18 

XXIV. 

158 

INDEX  OF  ALL  SCRIPTURE  PASS- 
AGES 


Page 

Page 

Ps.      cxviii.  25,  26 

1S2 

Matt. 

xxiv.    I 

179 

Jonah        i.  1-4,  15,  17; 

ii. 

2 

177,  179 

I,  10;    iii. 

I- 

32-34 

177,  179 

3'  5.  10 

47 

•■ 

34 

177 

Zech.      viii.  5 

II 

47 

68,76 

ix.  9,  10 

184 

XXV.    12 

77,78 

Mai.         iii.  8-10 

92 

40 

84 

Matthew  v.  18 

166 

40-45 

82 

26 

77,81 

Mark 

iii.  28 

20,  21 

vi.  I 

71 

29 

21 

2,  5 

68,71 

viii.  12 

45,48 

16 

68,72 

X.  20-22 

95 

viii.  10 

127,  134 

xii.  43 

98 

X.  15 

57,64 

xiv.  9 

68,74 

23 

177,  181 

18 

158,  159 

42 

68,73 

25 

170,  172 

xi.  7-9 

58 

30 

158,  160 

II 

57,58 

Luke 

ii.  17-21 

93 

xiii.  22 

93 

iv.  18-19 

118 

37 

57 

24 

117,  118 

xvi.  4 

48 

X.  35 

96 

13 

147 

xi.  47-51 

180 

27,28 

181 

xii.  10 

20 

28 

177 

31-40 

153 

xvii.  20 

127 

37 

153.  154 

xviii.  3 

7 

47 

22 

11-14 

II 

xiii.  34-35 

182 

13 

170,  175 

xviii.  29 

68,70 

15-18 

149 

.  30 

68 

18 

145 

xxi.  29-32 

180 

xix.  23,  24 

88,94 

32 

177 

28 

68,69 

xxn.  32 

161 

xxi.  21 

127 

xxiii.  43 

170,  171 

28-32 

66 

xxiv.  25 

52 

31 

57 

John 

i.  51 

112,  113 

33-41 

26 

iii.  I -2 1 

2 

191 


192  Index  of  all  Scripture  Passages 


John 


3»5»  I 
V.  19 

24,  25 
"5 
vi.  26,  32, 
viii.  34-36 
51 
58 

X.    I 

xii.  24 
xiii.  1-17 

16 

20 
xiv.  12 

17 
xvi.  20 


Page 

I  I 

105,  106 

12,  14,  35 

34 

47,  53    12,  14 

27 

34,  36 

105,  106 

12 

15 

39 

^53 

153,  154 

105,  106 

123 

126 

52,53 


John  23 

XX.  19-23 
xxi.  18 
Acts  i.  8 

Romans     i.  18-23 

!!•  ^3-15 

vii.  25 

XV.  20,  51,  52, 
iv,  22-31 
hi.  14-19 
iv.  13 

30 
I  Thess.    V.  19 
I  Tim.      iv.  8 
Heb.        vi.  4-6 
I  John       V.  16 
Rev.       xxi.  2-3 


I  Cor. 

Gal. 

Eph. 


54- 


137 
147 
164 
124 

64 
64 
30 
57  51 
30 
126 
II 
24 
25 
70 
21 
21 
59 


DATE  DUE 


HIGHSMITH      #  45220 


